Blood, Love, and Lies
by Ali07241997
Summary: Maleah Khang knows she belongs in Candor. She had nothing to hide. Until now. Now with a dangerous test result, an ex boyfriend trying to win her back, and a hell bent leader intent on pushing her past her limits, Maleah must try to find the truth in a web of lies. Whom can she trust? Eric X OC Rated M for swearing and adult themes. Takes place the year before Tris.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Maleah's POV

I walked down the dusty streets, my black skirt swishing back and forth with my hips as I tried to walk home for dinner as quickly as I could without falling. The streets were uneven from the war and I didn't want my clothes to get dirty from an unnecessary nose dive. I carried my heavy pile of books in both arms. Though I was born and raised in Candor, and Because I always told the truth, I never had anything to hide. would probably stay there, I was pretty smart. I was in Calculus and Physics which were classes only taken by the Erudite. I had to admit that having two classes with a bunch of know-it-alls was about as annoying as it got.

Try as I may, fate would have it that I just wouldn't manage to stay on my feet. A sudden force rammed into me sending me flying to the ground and my books sprawling everywhere. It took me a minute to realize that the force that knocked me onto the ground was, in fact, a person.

"Watch where you're going dumbass!" I shouted, scrambling for my books and straightening my clothing. "You made me rip my favorite skirt! Ugh I am most definitely going to be late for dinner now." Not that that was an uncommon occurrence.

"Watch who you're talking to, Candor. And I really could care less about your stupid skirt." He responded in a deadly low tone. I finally took the time to look at the person who ran into me. The first thought that came to mind was 'huge." Though I am 5'8 and well-muscled, he towered over me. He had to be at least 6'3 and was so broad that his shoulders were about triple the width of my own. In addition, his biceps were thicker than my neck. He was dressed in head to toe black with two piercings in his eyebrow that made him look pretty intimidating. Dauntless.

"Well it was your fault, bulldozer. And not that it matters, but that was my favorite skirt." I replied, with a tone of ambivalence despite the annoyance I felt. I was a big fan of clothes and I really fucking liked that skirt.

He raised an eyebrow at me in what could have been mild disbelief, but I couldn't be sure. "Do you have any idea who I am?" He questioned.

"You mean besides an idiot who can't seem to walk straight?" I shot back.

"Watch yourself." He said and with that, he continued on his way. Unbelievable.

I quickly resumed my walk home. I hastily walked through the door. "Mom! Dad! I'm home!" I yelled.

My mother quickly took in my disheveled appearance. "Maleah! What in heaven's name have you been doing?"

My father smirked at me. "Trip over air again huh, Leah?" I glared at him. I was not _that_ clumsy.

"No, dad. Some Dauntless idiot ran into me." I turned to leave before my dad grabbed my arm.

"Come on Leah! You can't really blame me for thinking that can you? It wouldn't be the first time."

"Your father's right you know. You're not exactly what I would call graceful." My mother supplied helpfully.

"Gee thanks guys. I feel so loved the day before the most important test of my life." I muttered sarcastically.

My parents frowned briefly. "You're not nervous are you sweetheart? You are the perfect Candor." My dad told me.

"No, not really. However, it's a lot of pressure when you have a dad who also runs the faction you live in." It was the truth. I was good at being Candor and loved it here. I was the number one attorney for Mock Trial and my father was Jack Khang, the leader of our faction.

"I know my position in government has not been easy on you. However, that will change when you are no longer a dependent, Maleah. After initiation, you'll have the opportunity to assist me in leadership or become an attorney like your mother. Whatever you choose, I'm sure you will make our faction proud." My father smiled kindly at me and drew me into a hug.

"I love you, daddy. Always have, always will." I whispered.

"I love you too." He said as I pulled away.

"I'm going to go upstairs to start my homework." I told my parents as I started up the steps.

After two hours of struggling through physics, I found my mind wandering. My mind was reeling from the encounter I had had with the Dauntless man. He was actually kind of hot if I was being completely honest. Too bad he was an ass. Sighing, I decided that studying was pointless. After all, tomorrow was our last day of school. I got off my bed and looked at myself in the mirror. I stood tall, with long and muscled legs. I was pretty averaged size, not thin but not really chubby either. My light blonde hair was long and straight and my skin shockingly pale. My eyes were a bright green and framed with thick black lashes. I had a decent sized chest but a relatively flat ass, or so I was told. That was the thing about Candor, everyone was honest, so I knew people found me attractive but at the same time I was well aware of all my flaws, as so many people were so kind to point them out.

I decided a run would be a good idea. I loved to run. It was therapeutic, and right now I could use a clear head. I grabbed my phone and a pair of earphones. Before the war, apparently almost everyone had cell phones. Now, only the people who could afford them had cell phones. Since my father was the faction leader, that meant I got a phone. I didn't really care that much about the ability to communicate with others long distance, since none of my friends had phones. However, I adored the music that I could put on it. Though Amity were really the only ones who made music anymore, most of the music from before the war was preserved and still listened to. I clicked 'shuffle' and headed out the door.

I eased into a steady pace, the music pushing me forwards. This was what I needed, to breathe hard, to feel the burn in my legs, to be completely alone and at peace. I rounded the corner and ran into a wall.

"Fuck, that hurt." I grumbled, picking myself up off the ground and coming face to face from the man from this afternoon.

"You." I stated disbelievingly.

"You." He imitated me, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know you really ought to watch where you're going, Blondie. I'm not someone you want to get on the wrong side of."

I scoffed at that nickname, how original. "With that kind of imagination, it's no wonder you weren't Erudite." I grumbled.

He grabbed my wrist tightly. "I won't repeat myself again. If you don't want me to make your life a living hell for the next few years, you'll watch yourself."

I rolled my eyes, "You have no power over me! We're not even from the same faction!" He really was proving me right with my Erudite theory.

"You have your test tomorrow. You sure it'll tell you Candor?" He questioned.

That question bugged me more than I would care to admit. Of course I was Candor, wasn't I? The only time I have ever lied was when I told an itty bitty white lie to my teacher about why I was late to school. I claimed I had missed the bus when in reality, I had lost track of time on a morning run. After that, I felt so guilty that I fessed to my parents and suffered through two hours of them lecturing me about the evils of dishonesty. My record was stellar compared to most others in my faction. Though we all prized honesty above all, we all slipped up sometimes. Yes, I was a great Candor and I knew I would get Candor on my test. What else would I get? Surely I wouldn't be Dauntless as Brainiac over here would dare to imply.

I squared my shoulders and looked Brainiac in the eye, "Positive."

He sighed. "If you're so sure about that-"

"I am." I cut him off. "Goodnight. I was actually doing something useful with my time before your rude interruption. Now if you'll excuse me, I would like to return to my run." With that, I spun around on my heel and sprinted off in the opposite direction.

After my run, sweat was pouring down my face and I was in dire need of a shower. I quickly stripped off my running clothes and hopped into the shower, letting the hot water ease the tension in my muscles.

I quickly dried off and began the tedious process of trying to yank a brush through my long, light blonde hair. I hastily wove my hair into a braid when I finished, brushed my teeth, and climbed into bed, falling into a dreamless sleep.

My alarm clock blared. Today was the day. Why we had to be at school 2 hours earlier on test day was beyond me. It seemed like, if anything, we should get a couple more hours of sleep on one of the most important days of our lives. I slammed my fist on the stupid clock, trying to get it to shut off. Most of the time, I was pretty good at getting up in the morning, but 5AM was just too early for me.

I trudged over to my closet and threw on a black push-up bra and matching panties. I pulled on a pair of tights, followed by a skirt, a white blouse, and boots. I yanked out the braid from last night and ran a hand through my now-wavy hair. I wore no makeup. According to Candor values, portraying yourself as something you are not is considered dishonest. I quickly brushed my teeth, twice, for good measure.

I went down stairs, muttering a good morning to my parents, semi awake.

"Test day today, Maleah! Are you excited?" My father questioned.

"My nerves are a little out of whack actually." I admitted truthfully.

"That's only normal, sweetheart. You have nothing to be worried about. Now I made you some peppermint tea for the morning walk over. You'll have to leave in a few minutes if you don't want to be late." My mother said as she handed me the mug of tea.

I took the cup, grateful for the warmth it supplied my hands. I had to walk this morning and Chicago was like a fucking arctic tundra in the winter. "You're right, mom. Thank you for the tea by the way." I said as I dashed out the door to face my fate head on.

I sat in a chair, ignoring my fellow classmates. I was nervous. And I was mad at myself for being nervous. I was mad that I was letting that idiot from yesterday affect me. I shouldn't be nervous, I should relax. I know what the test will tell me. I just have to stop being so stressed out. The idiot was full of shit anyway.

As I thought, I started to drum my fingers on the surface of my phone, a nervous habit I was trying to break. "Maleah, if you don't stop drumming your goddamn fingers on that phone, I am going to go insane." Kyle, one of my friends from Candor said.

"I think it's a little too late for you, Kyle. You're already insane." I drawled sarcastically. My friends sniggered.

"She speaks! I was starting to get worried there. I don't think you've gone that long without talking since the second grade when you lost your voice for the day. Normally you never shut up." I glared at Kyle. That was not exactly true. I could be quiet. I just liked to share my opinion a lot.

"Like you're much better, Kyle. This is Candor. By its very definition, no one shuts up." I shot back with a grin.

"Yeah I know." He said with a resigned sigh. God I hope he doesn't transfer. We'd been best friends since Kindergarten. It had gotten to the point where everyone thought we would get together. But we never saw each other that way. We'd both dated other people, and oddly enough, last year, they both transferred to Dauntless. Though I didn't want Kyle to transfer, I could see him doing well in Dauntless. If he did transfer, I only hoped he would tell me. We would see each other again. If Dauntless was where he belonged, then I would gladly support him. Jalen, my ex-boyfriend, never told me he was planning on transferring. It broke my heart when he dripped his blood over the burning coals. And honestly, I was pissed off at him for leaving me especially after the night we had before. I had completely trusted him and, obviously, it was a mistake.

_Flashback: 1 year ago~ the day before Jalen transferred_

_Jalen and I sat together on the couch in his family's apartment. He had been quiet all afternoon. I knew something was wrong. "You know how much I love you, don't you, Leah?" He questioned, taking me by surprise._

_"Yeah, of course I do. And I love you, too. Why do you ask?"_

_"I just don't ever want you to doubt it. Never will I stop loving you, Maleah Khang."_

_"I won't, Jalen. I love you, Jalen Dennis. Always have, always will."_

_He leaned in and pressed a quick peck on my lips. However, I quickly found myself wanting more. I pulled him back down to me, kissing him harder. He quickly pulled me onto his lap as I rocked my hips against him letting out a groan of pleasure. He placed his hands on the backs of my thighs, lifting me up and I hastily wrapped my legs around him tightly as he walked to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him and throwing me down onto the bed._

_He climbed on top of me. His started placing hot kisses all along my jaw and neck.. I let out a moan as he continued his attack on my fair skin. He stopped momentarily before asking, "Are you sure?"_

_"Yes." I replied with certainty._

"Maleah Khang room 408." A representative from Abnegation called out. I took a deep breath. It's now or never. I stood up tall and followed the woman into the room. In the room was a man dressed in head to toe black. He was tall and muscular, but in a lean way. He had dark, close-cropped hair, and tan skin.

"Hello. My name is Four and I'll be administering your Aptitude test today." He stated in a bored tone.

I scoffed. What kind of idiot name is Four? "Four? What does that stand for? The amount of fucks you give?" I questioned, voicing my thoughts.

He gave me a sharp look. "Not hard to tell where you'll end up." He muttered under his breath.

"I heard that you know." I replied.

"You were meant to. Drink." He ordered, handing me a shot glass filled with blue liquid.

"Only if you ask nicely." I shot back.

"I'm Dauntless, not Amity. Now shut the hell up and drink the damn serum." I shrugged and downed the liquid in one gulp. Within a few seconds, the room started to become blurry and I closed my eyes to try and regain my surroundings.

When I opened my eyes again, Four was no longer in the room. I stood confused. "Choose." A monotone voice ordered. I now saw that I had two choices: a knife and a piece of cheese. After quickly weighing my options, I quickly lunged for the knife. As soon as I grabbed the knife, a vicious dog appeared out of no where. I cringed. I never did like dogs. I tried to remember all that I could about dogs. Submission! Dogs took it as a challenge when you looked them in the eye. I quickly dropped my gaze and watched as the previously terrifying dog was now an adorable puppy. Suddenly, a little girl appeared. "May I please play with your dog?" She asked with a quiet demeanor.

"Of course. Please just be careful, ok?" I replied kindly. She reached out to pet the dog when the scene changed.

I was on a train. A beat up looking man approached me. "Have you seen this man before? He is a brutal murderer and I need help finding him." I looked at the picture he showed me. He did look familiar but I couldn't quite place where I had seen him before.

"H-he l-looks familiar." I responded truthfully. Where had I seen him before? This was driving me insane. I knew I had seen him before. Then it hit me. The picture of the man he had held up was himself from a different time. "Y-you're that man." I stuttered out.

"That I am, darling. Sweet dreams, princess." He said as he pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. Instinct took over as I kicked the gun out of his hand with skill I didn't know I had. He angrily swung at me, but I blocked his punch with my forearm and quickly grabbed the gun off the floor. I pointed the gun at the man and said, "Sweet dreams, asshole." I said before pulling the trigger.

I woke with a start. After realizing that my test was finished, I sighed in relief and ran a hand through my now disheveled hair. I turned to look at Four, who was now staring at me as if I had grown another head. "What were my results?" I questioned.

"Not what I thought." He replied, and my face fell.

"W-what d-do you mean? Am I not Candor?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"No, you're Candor alright." He replied and I felt myself relax. "And Dauntless, Erudite, and Amity." He finished. I felt myself tense all over again. I was Divergent. I couldn't stay in Candor. My father hunted divergents for christ sake! And I knew from tradition, truth serum at the end of Candor initiation would make me spill all of my secrets.

"I assume, since you're Jack's daughter, you know what this means. Correct?" Four asked me with a sympathetic look in his eyes.

"I have to leave. What are my strongest aptitudes towards?" I questioned.

"I would say you're a dead even blend of Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite, with a little Amity thrown into the mix." I nodded. Ok Dauntless or Erudite. I turned to leave as Four grabbed my wrist.

"Maleah, I don't need to tell you how dangerous this is. Please choose wisely." I nodded gingerly, as I left in shock.

As I walked home, my thoughts were anything but quiet. How could I be divergent? As I thought, the answers slowly came to me. I almost always had my nose in a book and I took the hardest classes the school offered, of course I was part Erudite. Thinking further, I ran almost everyday and I always had a temper. And how many times had I told the truth regardless of the consequences? That was bravery itself and it made me Dauntless. Candor was obvious to explain. I had always been a model Candor citizen; excelling in Mock Trial and always speaking my mind. Amity. That one was a little strange. I did have a deep appreciation of art and music I guess. But I wasn't really what you would consider overly nice. True, I was nicer than some of my friends and I was aware of peoples' feelings, but I still didn't think that made me an outstandingly kind person. Although Four did say Amity was my weakest aptitude. How had I missed the signs? They were right in front of me. I had just failed to see them until now.

My stomach tensed when I realized I still had a decision to make. I had always been planning on staying in Candor. I loved Candor. I loved my family and my friends. I loved the openness of Candor, as well. Because we were honest about our strengths and flaws, our insecurities, I could be myself. It was beautiful. Accepting yourself for who you are, faults and all. I never had anything to hide. Except now. Now, Candor was the most dangerous place for me. I couldn't stay here. I would spill my secret at the end of initiation when they gave me the truth serum. And even if my father would protect me, he could never do it by himself. And I wouldn't ask him to put himself in a position where he betrayed the ideals of his faction for me.

I could pick Erudite. I was smart enough. I had always been at the top of my class. But did I really want a boring life, stuck in a library all day? If I was being honest with myself, the answer was no. Plus, I took classes with all the Noses and I couldn't stand them. Amity. Peaceful? With the amount of screaming matches I got into with my family and friends, there was no way in hell that I could last more than a week in Amity. That left... Dauntless. Brave. Could I do it? I had been running regularly since I was about 12. I had pretty well defined muscles for a Candor. And I was fairly tall for a girl. Most importantly, Dauntless and Candor were more similar than I ever realized before. I think I would have the easiest time transitioning into Dauntless. It would also be the easiest faction for me to hide my Divergence in. I could do well in Dauntless, I realized. And I could see my parents again. Dauntless and Candor had a good relationship.

That thought made my physically halt my steps. My parents. Would they understand? Would they think I hated them? Would they hate me? Do I tell them that I'm transferring? Of course I would tell them. It was the honest thing to do. I knew I would have to start shedding my Candor traits once I was Dauntless, but I felt that if I was going to abandon my parents, I at least owed them the truth. That was going to be a hard conversation. I groaned out loud, just thinking about it. I resumed my walk home, picking up my pace, not wanting to delay the inevitable. Just as I rounded the corner, I found myself falling to the ground for the third time in the past two days.

Looking up, disbelief ran through me as I looked to see who I had ran into. Brainiac. Three fucking times? Did the universe really hate me that much? It had to me damn near impossible to have this shitty of luck.

Flustered, I quickly brushed off my skirt and tried to continue on my way, not really in the mood for another confrontation. However, a rough hand grabbed my wrist and spun me around.

Looking at my face, recognition flashed through his eyes. "Unbelievable." He muttered under his breath, thinking I didn't hear.

"You're telling me, Brainiac." I snapped back. "Are you stalking me now? It's kind of creepy considering you don't even know my name." I informed him helpfully.

He rolled his eyes. "You know, you are really testing my patience, Blondie. I warned you once, I am not someone you want to get on the wrong side of." Shit. He was Dauntless. Now that I was transferring, he probably could make my life miserable.

Not showing my fear I responded, "Yeah I remember. Nice speech. You didn't answer my question."

He huffed before he said, "If you must know, I had a meeting with the other faction leaders about the Choosing Ceremony tomorrow."

At the mention of the Choosing Ceremony, I paled. Regardless if I had made my choice or not, I still was nervous. Seeing my anxiety, he smirked and pulled his lips into a sadistic smile. "Hmm Aptitude Test not what you thought, Blondie? Imagine that." I ignored him. He was enjoying this far too much.

Desperate to change the subject, I said, "Hmm I don't recall my father mentioning having a meeting this morning."

This took him by surprise. "Wait. Your father is Jack Khang?" He questioned. Well mission accomplished, subject changed.

"Yeah. Wait. How do you know my father?" I questioned, honestly curious.

"Weren't you listening, Blondie? I guess what they say about Blonde's is true, huh?" He drawled sarcastically.

I narrowed my eyes. I was not dumb. Letting my anger get the best of me, I found my hand whipping across his face, lightening fast. Before I knew what was happening, his hands roughly grabbed my shoulders before pushing me against the wall. "With a temper like that, I can guess what your aptitude was. And as I mentioned before, I know your father from Faction meetings. I am a leader at Dauntless. Have fun during initiation, Blondie. I have a feeling you and I will be seeing each other again soon." With that dark promise, he released my shoulders, and with another sadistic smile, turned and walked off.

Well fuck. A leader? He couldn't have been much older than I am! And if he followed through with his promises, the next few weeks could be very rough indeed. Oh well. No one said Dauntless would be easy. Hopefully, I wouldn't make my situation any worse because I had a hunch that Brainiac wouldn't be interested in me trying to make amends.

Brushing the thought off, I focused on how I was going to tell my parents I was transferring. Should I try to sugar coat it or just do it quick, like a bandaid? All too soon, I reached my familiar apartment building. With a sigh, I opened the door, hoping this talk wouldn't be too horrendous.

Walking into the kitchen, I could see my mom already making dinner and my dad pouring over some files from work. "Maleah! How are you? How'd the test go, sweetheart?" My dad questioned.

I sighed. I had hoped that I would have had a little more time before I told them. Now or never. I gulped before saying, "Uh, it went interesting to say the least." Nice, Maleah. That wasn't vague at all.

"Interesting?" My father questioned. "You did get Candor, didn't you?"

I swallowed thickly before responding. "Well, not exactly." I responded awkwardly.

"What do you mean not exactly?" My father asked sharply.

I took a deep breath before uttering the second lie I had ever told. "I got Dauntless." I blurted out. It was a half truth at least.

"Dauntless?" My father shouted. "No way. Not my daughter. There must have been some sort of mistake." He said shaking his head.

My mother gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jack. You know as well as I do that the tests are virtually foolproof. Rarely do they make a mistake." My mother said gently. She turned to look at me. "Maleah. You know you would make a good Candor. There is no reason you cannot choose Candor tomorrow, if that is what you want. Of course, if you choose to follow your test, and choose Dauntless, we will still love you, no matter what and we will come and visit you on Visiting Day. Of course, I wish you would stay here. I can't promise I will be happy with your decision, but I can promise that I will never stop loving or supporting you." My mother stated bluntly.

"Speak for yourself, Sheila." My father stated coldly. "I raised my daughter Candor. If you leave this faction, you will not have a place with us any longer." I sucked in a breath and tried to hold in my tears.

"Jack!" My mother shrieked. "How could you say that! We're supposed to be supporting her-"

I cut her off. "It's ok, Mom. I understand. Faction before blood, right? I'm sorry I have to do this, believe me. And I'm sorry we can't part on more amicable terms. I'll see you guys tomorrow morning. Goodnight." I replied blankly.

"Maleah wait-" My mother started.

"It's ok. I'm tired and I want to have a clear head for tomorrow." I plainly stated. With that, I walked upstairs dejectedly and got ready for bed.

_I walked through the streets, an eery silence accompanying the sound of my footsteps. I recognized the route immediately. I took it almost every night to get home after school. As I walked up to my house, there was a quiet stillness that was out of place. Living in Candor, my house was never quiet. Hesitantly, I pushed the door open._

_Immediately, I screamed. In our living room, my dad was holding a gun to his head with a dead look in his eyes._

_"Dad! What are you doing? Please put the gun down!" I yelled out to him. Either he didn't here me or he was ignoring me because his face remained impassive. I desperately tried to run towards him, but my legs were like lead._

_"Such a disappointment. Do you know what my coworkers have been saying to me? How can I be trusted to run the faction when my own daughter defects?" He yelled. Tears streamed down my face. He was right. I was a disappointment. I was causing my family so much pain. And for what? So I could live? I was denying my own flesh and blood so I could have a better life. It was disgustingly selfish._

_"I can't live with myself anymore. I am no longer respected. You broke my heart, Leah." His words cut through me like a knife. Before I could respond, a shot rang out and he collapsed to the ground, blood spilling around him._

I woke with a start. It was just a dream, Maleah. As I catch my breath, I run a hand through my disheveled hair. I get out of bed and slowly walk to the bathroom. As I make my way towards the mirror, my reflection shocks me. I'm a mess. My blonde hair is ridden with tangles. My usually bright green eyes are bloodshot, dull, and lifeless. My skin is sallow and even more ghostly white then it normally is. I quickly splash my face with cold water, trying to chase the nightmare out of my eyes. Next, I yank a brush through my hair and then pull it up into a high pony. I brush my teeth and then put on a pair of black skinny jeans, a white sweater and black ballet flats.

I walk down stairs and start to make breakfast for myself. It's early. Neither of my parents are here for which a small part of me is glad. I'm not sure I could face my parents right now, especially after that nightmare.

I sit down with a bowl of yogurt, strawberries, and granola, only to find that my appetite is severely lacking. I throw away the yogurt and settle for a cup of tea. Just then, my parents came down stairs. Neither address me as my father pours himself a cup of coffee and my mother puts a slice of bread in the toaster. Both are careful not to meet my eye.

A pang of guilt shoots through me. I recall my dream, how could I leave my parents? I know what will happen. My father will take a lot of heat for his only daughter transferring. The Candor will be honest as usual and annihilate my father with attacks on his character, leadership ability, and his failure as a parent.

I hastily get up. "Um, if you guys are coming to the ceremony, we need to leave now." I say awkwardly. My mother nods, and my father still refuses to meet my eye.

We walk together as a family, keeping up the charade of a perfect Candor family, though the tension in the air is thick enough to cut with a knife. After an agonizing 15 minutes, we reach the Hub where the Choosing Ceremony is held.

I quickly take my seat in the Candor section, careful not to talk to any of my friends. Soon, Marcus Eaton begins the same speech we hear every year. I tune most of it out as I think about my decision. If I did transfer to Dauntless, I would probably have my best friend, Kyle with me. I could make it through Initiation with him. My parents may hate me, but at least I would be alive. However, what good is a life without anyone to share it with? With that thought, something dawned on me that I hadn't thought about in a long time. Jalen. He would be at Dauntless. Though we had never actually broken up, I didn't consider us together still. But that was when I had been sure I was staying in Candor. In all honesty, I didn't know how I felt. Anger, betrayal, and hatred were the words that first came to mind, but then words like love and forgiveness trickled in. Was I even ready to see him? Again, I wasn't sure. The one thing I did know was that I was not going to make this decision because of him. He hadn't thought of me with his decision so I didn't owe him anything. I was going to make this decision for myself.

_Flashback~Jalen's Choosing Ceremony_

_I sat with Jalen's and my family. Our families were close. My father approved of Jalen 100%. He was the perfect Candor, and in a couple of years, we would be quite the power couple. Me working alongside my father in leadership and Jalen working as an attorney. After the representative finished her speech, she started calling names._

_My eyes met with Jalen's and I could see the worry and anxiety buried under a carefully constructed facade of confidence. This worried me. Normally Candors wore their emotions plainly on their faces. In fact, the only people I could remember hiding their emotions were...transfers. Was Jalen going to transfer? No. Certainly he would have told me. Especially after last night. He wouldn't betray me that way._

_"Jalen Dennis." Johanna's kind voice rang out, shaking me out of my thoughts. Jalen gave my hand a gentle squeeze and kissed my forehead. He stood calmly and walked towards the stage. Swiftly, he cut his palm, letting the blood pool. His eyes met mine, and his expression said it all. He was leaving me. Before he dropped his blood over the burning coals, he mouthed, "I'm so sorry. I love you. Don't ever doubt it."_

"Maleah Khang." I jumped, startled. When had they started calling names? Hastily I stood, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans. I trudged up to the stage, my feet dragging. Slowly, I slit my palm with the knife and shakily stuck my hand over the burning coals, letting my blood fall.

"Dauntless." Shouts and cheers rang out as I hastily made my way over to my new faction, sneaking a peak at my parents. My mother had tears in her eyes and my father wore a livid expression. They were now the parents of a traitor. They would likely never forgive me. I sighed. This was my life now. I squared my shoulders and took three deep breaths. I was done crying. There wasn't anything I could do about my situation now. The only thing I could do was pick myself up and try and make it through initiation.

The rest of the ceremony flew by in a blur. Much to my surprise and distaste, Kyle chose Erudite. I guess I wouldn't have him like I thought I would. I was completely alone.

As the choosing ceremony ended, the Dauntless exited first, running down the stairs and out the door. I grinned. I could run, in fact I loved to run. Pushing my legs faster, I quickly reached the front of the pack. Soon, I realized where we were heading. The train. Shit. I did not think jumping on a moving train was going to be easy for a semi-uncoordinated girl. Regardless, I began to climb the towers that led to the train tracks. Hearing the train, I broke out into a sprint, behind a dark-haired man. As he climbed in, I hastily through myself in afterwards, my long limbs hindering my grace, and slammed into the man in front of me.

He turned and looked at me, realization dawned on me as I recognized his face. "Four?" I questioned.

He smiled a small smile and responded with, "Yep. Do you always make it a habit of running into people?"

"That she does." A new voice answered before I could say anything. I closed my eyes in a moment of annoyance before turning to the new voice with a sickly sweet, fake, smile. "Brainiac. How nice to see you again." I said, trying to remain cordial.

"Nice try, Blondie. Your emotions are written all over your face. You're not happy to see me." He deadpanned.

I sighed. I really had tried to be nice. "You're right. I'm not happy to see you. In fact, I am currently wondering what on earth I did to make the universe hate me so much that it keeps causing me to run into you." I replied. Several people sniggered in the background before Brainiac glared at them, causing them to abruptly stop.

"Number one. My name is Eric, but you will address me as sir. Number two. Looks like your luck just got better, Blondie because now you're going to spend your free time with me in extra training and I guarantee it you're not going to like it. Number three. We need to jump now and if you don't do so in the next three seconds I'll push you."

"Huh? What do you mean jump-" I was cut off quickly as Eric pushed me out of the cart, causing me to fall on my hands and knees after jumping. Ouch. That hurt like a bitch. Eric and Four soon jumped after and made their way to the front. I tuned out most of what the said until I heard something about jumping.

"Jump?" I questioned.

"Candor!" Eric yelled. "Thank you for volunteering to go first!" I sighed. I really did not want to jump off a seven story roof but I sure as hell was not going to back down from a challenge, especially one from Brainiac.

"Gladly." I responded and made my way to the ledge. Climbing up, I realized just how high seven stories really was. "Fuck." I muttered, suddenly wishing I was anywhere but this ledge and newly realizing that I was indeed afraid of heights.

"What was that, Blondie. Didn't quite hear you?" Eric drawled with an annoyingly smug grin on his face. He had quickly discovered my new fear just as I had. Maybe he wasn't as dim as I originally thought. "You're not afraid of heights, are you?" His sadistic grin grew bigger.

"No." I replied.

"Then prove-" I didn't hear the last of it because at that moment I threw myself off the building. Closing my eyes and bracing myself for the bone crushing impact I knew was coming, I was surprised when I hit something hard but not cement. It flung me up two more times before I settled. A net. A fucking net. I sighed in relief and partial annoyance at the leaders for making me think I was falling towards my death. A hand reached out to me and I quickly grabbed it, letting him pull me off. Looking up, I took in his appearance. Dark-skinned. Tall and muscly, but fairly narrow for a Dauntless. He flashed me an award winning smile before saying, "Name?"

I thought about it. I wanted to start anew, but I also wanted to keep a part of my family with me. "Leah." I replied.

"FIRST JUMPER: LEAH!" The man called out. He then turned to me and flashed me another smile, "I'm Zeke. Welcome to Dauntless."

**AN: First chapter! Please review, read, comment etc. I would deeply appreciate constructive criticism or any of your guys' ideas. Hope you guys enjoy! This is my first story so please bare with me. I will do my best to update as often as possible! This will eventually be an Eric and OC story. Thanks for reading! **

**-Ali**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I'm so sorry this chapter took so long! I had a tough time writing it and it took me forever to edit it but hopefully it turned out alright! Thank you so much to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this story and special thanks to thepandagirl16 for your kind words. I'm so glad you liked it and you are so sweet! There is a sex scene in this chapter towards the end that is intended for mature audiences only. It is italicized so if you don't want to read it, you can just skip over it. Please enjoy!**

**AN2: Sorry for the formatting error! I'm still gettting the hang of uploading chapters! Hopefully this is easier to read!**

Chapter 2

Leah's POV

After the rest of the initiates jumped down from the net, the Dauntless Born and Transfers split up. Dauntless went with a girl named Lauren while Four and Eric led us to meet the other transfer trainer. We arrived at the training room where another man was waiting for us. A man I knew all too well.

"Initiates!" Eric bellowed. "My name is Eric and I'm one of the leaders at Dauntless. I will be overseeing your initiation. Your trainers will be Four and Jalen." He gestured to the pair. You've got to be kidding me. Out of all the people in Dauntless, it just had to be Jalen. I was really beginning to think the universe had it out for me. How else could I have such poor luck? If I wasn't the one suffering, the irony in the situation might actually be humorous.

Eric went on about some ground rules and led us on a tour of the compound, but my head was elsewhere. My eyes were glued to Jalen's. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. "I need to talk to you." He mouthed. I sucked in a deep breath. How was I going to be able to keep my focus on initiation when Jalen and Eric were overseeing it? I had expected that I would run into Jalen at some point or another. I just wasn't planning on it being so soon. He wanted to talk to me. Did he have a girlfriend? Did he still love me? Did I still love him? Did I want to talk to him? My mind was reeling. I needed to clear my head. I needed to run. However, I hadn't been paying attention to the tour and didn't fancy getting lost my first day. I would have to tough it out until tomorrow's training session. Yes. Training was exactly what I needed. Taking a deep breath, I pushed Jalen to the back of my mind. One step at a time. I needed to close the Jalen drawer for now. There would be plenty of time to talk later if that was what I wanted. For the time being though, I wasn't going to stress myself out over him.

Jalen, Four, and Eric dropped us off at the transfer dormitories, which to much of our chagrin, was coed. I sighed. I was from Candor and while I was fairly confident with my body and used to peoples' crude comments, I still wasn't eager to give all the boys a free show. I figured that I would have to get used to the lack of privacy eventually, so I decided to strip fast. The sooner I got it over with, the better.

As I was peeling my sweater off, a boy from Candor whistled at me. Reily. I sighed. I knew him from Candor and knew for a fact he was a colossal asshole and I was so not in the mood to put up with his bullshit. "Hey baby girl! Glad we ended up in the same faction! Why don't you spend some time with me tonight?"

I turned to him still in my bra. "Reily, right?" I questioned as he nodded. "You know, I might take you up on that offer." I winked at him.

He looked stunned. "Really?" He questioned. "No."

I turned to finish getting ready. I saw the girl next to me was having a hard time holding back her laughter. She was tall and thin with dark skin and hair and a dazzling smile.

"Hey I'm Leah, Candor." I introduced myself to her.

"Jordana, Erudite." She flashed me another pretty smile. "And this is Lydia. She's also from Erudite."

I smiled at her and shook her hand. Lydia was short with red hair and a rounded face. Her soft feature made her look a lot younger than sixteen, but she was still a cute girl.

"You know," Lydia started. "That was pretty cool what you said to those dumbasses back there. Are you always so blunt?" I frowned. I needed to start developing a filter if I was going to make it through this initiation. I couldn't let people suspect my divergence because of my loud mouth.

"Old habits die hard I guess." I replied, trying to look indifferent. Lydia and Jordana seemed to accept that answer for now. I sighed, realizing that I was going to have to start telling a lot more lies if I wanted to protect myself. I remembered what Eric had said about my emotions showing on my face. I was also going to have to start hiding my emotions if I didn't want to give away my thoughts.

Lydia, Jordana, and I finished getting ready and quickly dashed out of the room, clothes in hand.

"Initiates! Throw your old faction's clothing into the burning flames." Eric bellowed. Ok that was ridiculous. Why the hell should we waste perfectly good clothing?

"Why?" I questioned. Eric raised a pierced eyebrow at me, daring me to continue. "It seems awfully wasteful to burn our old clothing? Why can't we keep it?"

"Are you saying you still feel tied to your old faction, Maleah _Khang_?" He spit out my last name, reminding everyone of my previous status as the daughter of the leader of Candor. I closed my eyes briefly, gathering my emotions. Now was not the time to dwell on my parents and my betrayal.

"No." I stated calmly. "I just don't see why it is necessary. Our loyalties are obviously with Dauntless. If it is really an issue, why not donate them to the factionless?" I questioned.

"Because this isn't Abnegation." Four stepped in, shooting me a warning look. "Understand initiate?" I nodded. I had to stop speaking my mind. However, that was obviously proving to be easier said than done.

"Now that we've established that we are Dauntless, not a bunch of stiffs," Eric started, sending me a loathing glare. "You may go to dinner."

We all turned and headed towards the cafeteria. I sat down with Lydia and Jordana on one side and Four and Eric on the other side. I tuned out most of the conversation and picked at my burger. Jordana had struck up a conversation with a Dauntless born who was obviously already infatuated with the dark haired beauty. Meanwhile, my thoughts slowly drifted to Jalen. Did I want to talk to him? I wasn't sure but hiding from him seemed like a cowardly option. With that realization, I quickly made my decision. I was Dauntless now. I would not be a cowardly little girl any more. I would talk to him. I would listen to what he had to say respectfully and then make a decision about him.

"Leah!" Someone shouted. I jumped. I turned at the sound of my voice, trying to locate its origin. Quickly, I realized whom the voice belonged to: Zeke. I grinned up at him.

"Hey what's up?" I asked easily. Though I had only known Zeke for a few hours, a quick scan of his relaxed body language and easy smile showed me he was a friendlier guy than most Dauntless.

"Doesn't look like you're too interested in that burger. My girl and I are headed to the shops, want to tag along?" He asked. I thought momentarily. I did love to shop. Maybe a little retail therapy was exactly what I needed.

"Is your girlfriend normal?" I questioned teasingly.

"Of course not. She's with Zeke isn't she?" Four cut in blankly. I tried and failed to hide the half smile that cracked across my face.

"She's abnormally beautiful, nice, and all around amazing if that's what you mean." Zeke replied seriously. I smiled while Four rolled his eyes. It was nice to hear a man talk about his girlfriend that way.

"Yeah. Sure. That sounds nice. Thank you." I said, standing up from the table. Zeke grinned again, as we started walking to what I assume was his apartment.

"Alright let's go pick up Shauna and maybe my brother as well. He's choosing next year. No where near as cool as yours truly but he's decent enough." He informed me as he led me through the door to his place.

"Zeke! Quit talking about me like I'm not here." A voice called from behind me, causing me to jump.

"Uriah! Truth hurts, little bro!" Zeke replied as Uriah shoved him and then turned to me.

"Hey I'm Uriah! Are you a transfer?" Uriah questioned, giving me an easy smile. I could definitely see the resemblance between him and Zeke. Uriah was like the spitting image of Zeke. They looked more like twins than brothers.

"Leah and yeah I'm from Candor." I replied easily. Both Uriah and Zeke were easy to talk to.

"Oh you're Khang's daughter aren't you?" He questioned, still with a huge smile on his face.

"Yes." I replied shortly, hoping Uriah would drop the subject.

"Oh. Well that's cool." Uriah said a little awkwardly, taking my hint.

"But hey welcome to Dauntless! You ready for some new threads?" He quickly recovered. I grinned. Befriending Uriah and Zeke was definitely a good move on my part.

"Yeah definitely!" I replied, smiling and took the hand he offered me.

"Oh no! I thought Uriah liked Marlene! I told her you were totally into her and now he's on a date with someone else! She's going to be devastated." A woman's voice called. Uriah and I turned beat red and he quickly dropped my hand.

I rose an eyebrow. "I just met Uriah. No offense to him but I'm not that into him." I smiled at Uriah, to be sure I hadn't hurt his feelings. He nodded to tell me I hadn't.

"And Uriah," I turned to him, "Don't be a pansycake." I said with a wink. Uriah spluttered, trying to contain his embarrassment. The woman grinned at me. She was a couple inches shorter than me and with a slightly thinner build than I. She had long brown hair and piercing green eyes.

"Oh I like her Zeke! She's definitely a keeper. And by the way Uriah." She turned to him. "Leah's right. Get your head out of your ass, grow a pair, and fucking ask Marlene out on a date already." She said, smirking at Uriah's now even more red face.

Zeke and Shauna led the way hand in hand, with Uriah and I falling behind. We talked about a few things before I decided to do some digging.

"So, Marlene, huh?" I asked. "What's she like?"

Uriah's face became dream like. "She's the most beautiful girl I've ever met." He responded as we stopped to look through a rack of clothes. I caught the glance of a girl, clearly listening in on the conversation. A thought crossed my mind.

"What does she look like?" I questioned, glancing at the girl again.

"She's got this stunningly thick, deep brown hair and these shockingly blue eyes and the most amazingly full lips, not to mention a killer body." Dark brown hair and blue eyes? Killer body? Yep she fit the build he was describing. I smirked, checking out the girl Uriah was still oblivious to.

"Do you love her?" I questioned, praying my plan worked. The woman behind Uriah perked up, all thoughts of discrepancy thrown out the window.

"Absolutely. She's wicked smart, can handle a gun like no one else, and most importantly she's immensely brave. She's the perfect Dauntless. I love her." He stated "I am in love with Marlene."

I nodded looking over at the girl who had been listening to our conversation and saw that she now had a shit eating grin on her face. I smirked. "Hmmm. She sounds a lot like the girl standing right behind you." I answered.

"What?" He turned. "Mar-" He didn't finish his sentence because at that moment, Marlene crashed her lips to Uriah's. I grinned. Mission accomplished. Zeke and Shauna caught my eye and smiled their thanks. I nodded, smiling back.

I resumed my shopping, picking up some workout clothes and other basics, paying with my points and walking back to the dorm. As I was about to open the door to the dorm, a hand wrapped around my mouth and yanked me to a dark corridor. I tried to scream and kick, hoping to escape my captor.

"Goddammit, Leah! Will you please stop fighting me?" He questioned. I knew that voice. Jalen. I immediately stopped.

"Leah, listen-" He started. I didn't let him finish. Though I had promised myself that I would listen respectfully, I couldn't help myself as all the hurt and betrayal came rushing back. My hand flew across his face, slapping him. Hard.

"Ok. I probably deserved that." He said. I slapped him again.

"Ok what was that for?" He questioned, now angry.

"I don't know. I felt like it and I thought it might make me feel better. It didn't really though." I said with a shrug.

He shook his head. "You know, if you pull a stunt like that in training, I can't promise you'll get away with it. I'm your instructor. You have to respect me."

I rolled my eyes. He wanted to go there did he? "Respect the man who told me he loved me and that he would be staying in Candor only to transfer to Dauntless after he took my virginity? Hmm makes sense." I ranted sarcastically, my self control slipping away

"Leah-" He tried.

"NO!" I shouted. "You don't get my respect. I trusted you before and it turned out to be the worst mistake of my life. Do you know how many days I spent crying? How many days I spent playing over the last few months of our relationship, wondering what possibly could have gone wrong?" I questioned frantically. I took a deep breath, trying to regain my calm. I had to keep my emotions in check. I would not cry in front of him.

"Leah. I'm sorry but what did you want me to do? Did you expect me to pick you over who I really am?" He questioned, his voice now a yell.

"Of course not!" I shouted. He really didn't get it, did he?

"I expected you to be honest with me. I expected you to talk to me about leaving. And most of all, I expected you to tell me you were leaving before I fucked you! The least you could have done was respect me enough to have a conversation with me instead of leaving me hanging, not knowing where we stood!" I screamed at him.

Just then, Eric came out, slowly clapping. "Wow this is quite the little lover's reunion, isn't it?" He drawled. "Wow Jalen. You left your girlfriend the day after you fucked her for the first time. You're that big of an ass and she still loves you." He sneered.

He turned to me. "Don't bother denying it, Blondie. It's written all over your face. How pathetic are you? Choosing your faction over a boy that doesn't give a damn about you? You should hold yourself to a higher standard." I felt the tears prick in my eyes. I was not pathetic. My choice had nothing to do with Jalen. I had made this choice for myself.

Jalen stepped in. "Look Eric. You can't talk to her like that. You have no right too-"

Eric cut him off. "I'm a leader. I can do whatever the hell I damn well want." He said.

I rolled my eyes. I had had enough. I was done listening to the two argue and I was certainly over Eric torturing me. "Look. Jalen. I loved you and honestly part of me probably still does. But I can't do this again. It's just too painful and I won't spend my time feeling like I'm worthless. I deserve better than that." I told him. "What you did was a colossal dick move and I can't forgive you for that." I told him painfully. I could feel one of the tears slide down my cheek. I blinked quickly. I would not cry. I would not grant Eric the pleasure of seeing me cry.

I turned to leave. I'd had enough. I needed to accept the fact that Jalen was my past. I needed to focus on my future. I made a decision right then that I would not let Jalen back in my life. Regardless of his feelings towards me, I needed to focus on initiation and hiding my divergence.

"Leah! Wait!" Jalen grabbed my wrist, stopping me. "I do still love you and I still think we could make it work. I'm so sorry. I know you're not worthless. You're anything but. Leaving you without an explanation was the worst thing I've done and I will live with the guilt of hurting you for the rest of my life. But I do still love you and I'm selfish enough to ask you for another chance. Please. I'm begging you. Forgive me." He pleaded honestly. "At least take some time and think about it." Jalen begged.

My heart broke. I wanted to tell him that I loved him. I wanted to tell him that all was forgiven. But I couldn't do that. I couldn't allow him to break down the walls I had just put up. I needed to protect myself. Jalen had put himself first last year and now it was my turn to do the same thing. It might be selfish, but it's what I desperately needed right now. So I didn't say anything. I just turned and ran like hell.

The sound of metal clanging together woke me up. I groaned, snapping my eyes open. I looked around, trying to locate the sound of the annoying clanging. As I finally found the source of the torturous sound, I saw Four banging a metal spoon against a pipe, looking like he was having far too much fun. Asshole.

"Initiates! Training starts in half an hour. You have until 8 to get ready, eat breakfast, and be in the training room. Get ready to work." With that, he turned and left.

I turned to Lydia and Jordana who were also struggling with the early hour. "You guys excited for training?" I questioned sleepily.

"Yeah. Also really nervous." Jordana answered, Lydia nodding along with her. I quickly threw my hair into a ponytail and brushed my teeth.

When all three of us were ready, we headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. I grabbed a muffin and a cup of peppermint tea to try and wake me up a little. I was a wreck emotionally. My night with Jalen and Eric had left me a mess. I didn't think it was possible for two people to completely demolish me. Eric had reduced me to nothing, making me feel stupid, embarrassed, and pathetic. Jalen, on the other hand, just left me feeling sad. We were together for almost two years and I had finally admitted to myself that what we had was over. His declaration of love had only made things worse. I wanted nothing more than for us to start over, to have another shot at a relationship together. But that was impossible. He was my first love and I had to accept that there was just too much hurt between us now. I wouldn't' forgive him. I couldn't. To forgive him would be to deny myself happiness. I had always put others before myself and that needed to change. I deserved better than that, that much I was sure of. I sighed. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to face either of them today. I quickly stopped my train of thought. No. Yesterday I had run away. Today I would be strong. I had Lydia and Jordana with me. I had Uriah and Zeke. I could handle this. I would do my best in training and deal with the mess that was my personal life later.

Jordana, Lydia, and I entered the training room at 7:55. There were a couple of other initiates in the room as well so we went and stretched for a while before Four called us to the center of the room.

"Initiates." He started. "There has been a slight change of plans. Instead of Jalen and I training you, Zeke and I will be training the transfers and Lauren and Jalen will be training Dauntless Born."

"Why?" I asked before I could stop myself. "It has come to our attention that one of the transfer initiates and Jalen were previously...involved together." Eric answered, looking directly at me, a hint of an accusatory tone to his voice.

I blushed, mentally cursing my deeply instilled Candor habits. Four thankfully saved me from any further embarrassment from Eric. "Regardless of the reason, we need to start training. Come on initiates, we're going for a little run." Four said with a slightly sadistic smile. I had a feeling this was not going to be a "little run."

I was right. Ten miles later, three initiates had already collapsed needing to see the medic, much to Eric's displeasure. He barked orders at us occasionally, but mostly just observed us running laps around the training room. Four kept a decent pace, but nothing I couldn't handle. Years of running had kept my stamina in immaculate condition so I was neck and neck with Four the whole run.

"How long are we going for?" I asked him, slightly out of breath, honestly curious. I could probably run for another ten miles before I hit a wall.

"Why can't keep up with me for any longer?" He asked with a challenging smirk. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"That sounded an awful lot like a challenge to me." I informed him.

"Oh it was." He responded. "You're fast but I could take you." He replied confidently.

"Oh really? You're on. Two mile race?" I questioned. He nodded. I grinned. This was going to be fun. I was what you would call slightly competitive. I had even made a few kids cry during recreational sports on more than one occasion. It had gotten to the point where, by the time I had turned eleven, I was forbidden from playing any more recreational sports. Wound up with unreleased energy, I had thus began running.

"Initiates! You can take a break and watch Leah and I race. She wins, you'll be done after shooting practice today. I win, you all stay an extra two hours for more conditioning." I pursed my lips. He hadn't mentioned this part of the deal. I brushed it off. All the more incentive to win I suppose. I heard a couple of groans, but I had also heard Lydia and Jordana cheering for me. I could also hear Zeke and surprisingly, Eric, chuckling in the background.

"Eric! Get a timer out. I want this to be official." Four barked out at Eric. Eric went to another room for a moment before coming out with a large timer that reminded me of the scoreboards the Erudite had designed for the school. Four led me to our makeshift start line.

"Ok. Eight laps for two miles, got it?" He questioned. I nodded.

"Good. Eric and Zeke will keep track and call out the time each time you pass the start line." I nodded my understanding once more and began to take my place at the start line.

"Alright. On your mark. Get set. Go!" Eric shouted as Four and I took off running. I decided to keep a few steps in front of him, letting him pace me. He kept a faster pace than he did on the long run because of the short distance, but nothing I couldn't manage. Before I knew it, I was crossing the start line for the fourth time, marking the end of the first mile.

"Leah: 5:52. Four: 6:01. Four! You gotta pick up the pace if you don't want to be beat by a girl." Eric taunted. That comment drove me faster. I didn't respond well to people using my gender against me.

"Let's go, Leah!" Lydia cheered for me.

"Yeah come on, girl!" Jordana joined in.

Soon almost everyone was cheering for me. I continued to pump my legs faster, letting myself take a more substantial lead on Four. I rounded the start line once again after my seventh lap. I steadied my breathing and lengthened my stride out, pushing myself faster. I finally crossed the finish line as Eric called out my time.

"Leah: 11:13. Well done. Four: 11:32. How's it feel to be dethroned by a Candor transfer, no less?" Eric turned to Four, taunting him.

I grinned. I had won. Eric looked like he was trying to keep a smile off his face. A genuine smile, I realized. Zeke, on the other hand, was letting his amusement show freely. I soon found myself smiling as well. I couldn't seem to keep it off my face. I had ran well and I was proud of myself.

"Well, it was a fair race. Well done, Leah." Four congratulated me, placing a hand on my shoulder. I looked over at Eric who was now scowling murderously, any trace of his smile gone. I frowned. What the hell was his problem, any way? Maybe he was bipolar. Yes. That would explain it.

After grabbing some water, I took my place next to Lydia and Jordana as we listened to Four demonstrate how to shoot a gun. Four began demonstrating the proper technique, but my mind was already ten steps ahead. I knew you couldn't realistically shoot perfectly the first time. It was something you learned how to do through experience. However, basic calculations would give me an advantage. I could readjust my stance as I went along. I started to calculate the force needed to properly shoot the gun, taking in to account the gun's weight and recoil. I also calculated the angle in which you would need to align the gun with in order to hit the center.

After Four finished demonstrating, we all went to practice on individual targets. I raised the gun, keeping my arms slightly bent, but strong to account for the recoil. I breathed deeply, steadying my body, aligning the gun properly. Finally, I fired. The bullet hit the edge of the target. Not perfect, but it was a start. I quickly made the proper adjustment and fired again. Second ring. Better. Making another fast adjustment, I fired again, this time hitting the center. I grinned. I liked this. The gun gave me a deadly sense of power and I had to admit that I enjoyed it. I eased myself into a calming rhythm. I was happy to discover that shooting was almost as good a way to clear my head as running was. Two hours flew by and by the time we had finished, my arms felt like wet noodles.

Four soon called us over, telling us to stop. "Initiates! Good job in your first day of training. By the end of this week, we will have your rankings. Rankings will determine what jobs you move into: leadership, guarding the fence, intelligence, or keeping the factions from killing each other. You may leave now." He says, effectively dismissing us.

I turn to leave when Eric's arm blocked me. I look up at him. "Yes?" I ask, wondering what he could possibly want.

"You have two hours of extra training, remember?" He sneered with that annoying smirk he wore all too often. I sighed. Fuck. I had forgotten about that.

"Right. What are we doing?" I questioned, trying to appear strong and not like I was about to collapse. His sadistic grin told me I was not going to enjoy this.

"Start with pushups. You can stop when you can't continue anymore, if I deem you've done an adequate amount." I mentally groaned. Running made my legs strong. My arms? Not so much. Sure I was probably still stronger than most girls my age, but comparatively, my arms were still weak. I wouldn't hold a candle to someone like Eric. I quickly dropped to my knees, getting into position and silently started the exercise while Eric watched me.

Five minutes later, I was still doing pushups albeit on very shaky arms. After two-hundred pushups, I finally accepted defeat and collapsed, my arms dead. I looked up at Eric.

"How many?" He questioned plainly, an authoritative air to his voice.

"Two-hundred." I responded, trying to catch my breath. He kept his face blank as he pondered my answer. He slowly nodded, causing me to sigh in relief. There was no way I could do anymore, even if I tried.

"What? Tired already, Blondie? You're in for a brutal practice if you're already that exhausted." He sneered. I closed my eyes, fighting the retort that was dying to fly out of my mouth.

"What? Got nothing to say? I find that hard to believe coming from you." I took a deep breath. He was trying to provoke me and I hated to admit my control was slowly weakening.

"Nothing to you." I spoke, my voice barely even. "Not after last night." I added before I could stop myself.

His eyes turned dark and I caught a glimpse of an emotion I couldn't quite place. "Listen, Blondie. I don't care about whatever transpired between you and your stupid little boyfriend. If you can't handle it, you shouldn't have transferred here."

"I wasn't talking about Jalen! I can handle what Jalen did. I've accepted that he and I are done and there's nothing I can do to change what he did. I'm talking about the way YOU treated me! Just because you're a leader, doesn't mean you have the right to humiliate me and treat me like shit!" I yelled, my anger getting the best of me.

"You cannot talk to me like that. I've given you so many warnings. Gain a fucking filter soon or you'll find yourself factionless." I nodded looking at my shoes. He was right. I had to start making progress in forgetting my old faction's habits and fast . His eyes lost some of their darkness as he took a deep breath to calm down.

"Let's see how you shoot." He said emotionlessly, leading me to the target.

I picked up a gun once again and took up my stance, quickly firing five shots into the center of the target. He stared at my target in surprise.

"Your stance is completely off, and yet, you can hit the center. It's not luck either. Your form is too different from Four's so that leads me believe you came up with this yourself. Explain." He ordered, briefly surprising me with his observations. He was far more astute than I had originally thought.

I shrugged before replying. "Easy. I knew this would be a trial and error process. You can't expect to fire a gun perfectly the first time. It's a learning process. So I calculated the basic force that would be required to effectively fire the gun, taking its weight and recoil into account and then observed the angle that would give me the best chance of hitting the target." I finished explaining with a shrug.

He gave me a curious look before saying, "That's a very Erudite answer." Shit. I had completely outed myself. Who the hell gives an answer like that besides an Erudite.

I quickly tried to cover my mistake."Oh well my parents always insisted on doing my best in school. I was always good at math and science. I took Physics and Calculus my last year." I informed him.

He looked at me suspiciously before seeming to accept my answer. "Well if you bring your shoulders forwards a bit, you'll be able to shoot faster and with more accuracy." He said placing his hands on my arms. I was surprised at the effect his hands had on my body. Where his rough and calloused hands moved, they left goosebumps. He lowered them to my sides. "Keep your core tight." His hands moved slowly to my hips, "And keep your hips square." He whispered in my ear, causing shivers to run down my back. I nodded, trying to keep my thoughts clear, but with his hands still resting on my hips and his warm breath tickling my neck, the task proved to be slightly more difficult than I had thought.

"You're right, you know?" He questioned, snapping me out of my reverie.

"What?" I questioned, surprised.

"Jalen. He's your past, not your future." He stated.

He then turned to leave before adding, "You're dismissed. Same time tomorrow. Don't forget."

He walked out of the room leaving me stunned. I walked through the hallways back to the dorms, with a small smile on my face. I had a good day today and was eager to see what tomorrow would bring.

The next few days went by in a blur. We had settled into a familiar routine. I was thankful for the busy schedule for it helped keep my fast mind from going into overdrive about recent events. I hadn't seen Jalen since that night with Eric and the more I thought about it, the more sure I was of my decision. I had been keeping my promises to myself, as well. Eric's words from training had also been replaying in my head: _He's your past, not your future._ I also found myself thinking about the curious reaction my body had had to his touch. I wasn't used to feeling like that and it was bugging me. Eventually, I had decided to put it out of my mind and had just accepted that my reaction must have been a default response to the shock and surprise of him touching me. Eric had kept his distance since that night and our training had mainly been working on my strength to prepare for fights, for which I was grateful for. I was also doing well in training. The first fights were today and by tomorrow, we would know our rankings. I had a feeling I was most likely in the top five for transfers, but I was unsure how I would measure up against the Dauntless Borns.

Jordana and Lydia were proving to be good companions as well. Jordana was completely oblivious to the advances of a Dauntless Born initiate names Luke. Luke was cute. He was around the same height as Jordana but was very broad. He had sandy, blonde, shaggy hair and tan skin with freckles.

"Jo, you know Luke is totally into you?" Lydia questioned, causing Jordana to blush furiously.

"You think?" Jordana questioned. "I really like him and he's super cute but he hasn't asked me out. I'm not sure he likes me." Jordana answered with a sad smile.

"Of course he does, Jo. What's not to like about you? And so what if he hasn't asked you out yet? You're a strong woman. Ask him out yourself. The worst he could say is no." I replied with a kind smile.

"If you say so..." She reluctantly agreed.

"I do." I said with a grin. "What about you Lydia? Anyone catching your eye?" I questioned. Lydia blushed.

"Oh my Gosh! Who is he?" Jordana screeched.

"Promise not to tell anyone?" Lydia asked.

"Of course!" Jordana and I said simultaneously.

"Ok. Well I think I might have a tiny crush on Nathan." She confessed.

"The guy from Candor?" I asked. I knew Nathan briefly. He seemed like a cool guy and I could see him with Lydia.

"Yep." She said. "But don't tell anyone. I want to get to know him better first." She stated seriously.

We both nodded. "Well we should probably get going. Fights are today. Don't want to be late or Four and Eric will probably skin us." Jordana said, only slightly joking.

We all stood and began to walk to the training room. When we got there, Eric and Four stood next to each other pairing up the fights. I was surprised that the two were even able to stand that close together. The animosity was practically rolling off their bodies.

I quickly scanned the board to see who I would be fighting. I found that my fight was first with Nathan. Nathan was a nice guy so I knew it would be a clean fight at least. He was a couple inches taller than me, but narrow so we would probably be about the same level strength wise. I sighed. This was going to be a brutal fight.

"First fight!" Eric called out, after we had all entered into the training room.

"Leah and Nathan! In the ring. You fight until one of you can no longer continue." He said coldly and I felt my blood run cold. This fight was definitely going to be bloody.

"Or until one of you concedes." Four piped up.

Eric shot him a look before continuing. "According to the old rules. New rules: No one concedes." Four mumbled something to Eric after that, causing Eric to tense, anger radiating off his body.

Nathan and I made our way to the ring to face off.

"No hard feelings?" He asked.

"None. Do what you need to do to win. I'll do the same." I responded. He nodded in agreement.

We circled each other slowly, both of us hesitant to make the first move.

Eric's patience seemed to be running thin today again as he yelled, "Quit playing with each other and fight already!"

His words seemed to wake Nathan up as he quickly threw a punch at my jaw, which I was barely able to dodge. I threw a punch at his face and as he covered his hands to block his face,I struck his ribs with my foot. He spluttered before regaining his composure quicker than I had anticipated and this time, I didn't have the time to dodge his fist as it connected with my nose. I heard the sickening crunch. Broken nose for sure. I held my hand up to my face in an attempt to stop the bleeding. I spit the blood out of my mouth before launching myself at Nathan.

The fight was a blood bath as I had predicted. We were too even. Every time I landed a solid punch or kick, Nathan hit me right back. The kick he just delivered to my ribs knocked me to my knees. He quickly saw his opportunity and slammed me down to the ground. He started punching my jaw repeatedly, attempting to knock me out and end this fight. I wasn't going to give in though. I bucked my hips under him, effectively flipping us so that I was now on top. With as much strength as I could muster, I swung my fist into his temple, finally knocking him out. I sighed in relief. We had been fighting for almost twenty minutes and I was exhausted.

"Eric! Get Leah. Set her nose for her, I'll send Nathan to the infirmary with Josh and Scott. Zeke! Get the next pair up and fighting" He pointed to two transfers and gave a slight nod to Zeke.

They nodded as they helped the now semi-conscious Nathan to his feet as Zeke replaced Four by the edge of the ring.

Eric grabbed me by the arm and led me to a more private area of the training room.

"Your nose is definitely broken." He informed me.

"I noticed." I replied dryly, my patience gone. The exhaustion from my fight was setting in and the adrenaline was wearing off.

He growled in response but didn't say anything. He just started to clean the blood off of my face. He wasn't gentle but he also wasn't rough like I thought he'd be. I was surprised to see how thoughtful and focused he looked. It was strange to see an emotion on his face other than anger, boredom, or annoyance. This was a side of him I hadn't seen before.

"I need to set your nose." He told me casually.

"Wait. You're not going to do it, are you?" I questioned him frantically. I had expected someone with at least a little bit of knowledge about human anatomy.

"Yeah. I've done it a hundred other times." He told me, like there was no chance he could make the break worse if he messed up.

I took a deep breath. I was going to have to be brave and just let him do it. At least I wouldn't have to go to the infirmary. "Yeah. Ok. Go ahead." I told him stoically.

"Ok. Now I hate to say this, but this is going to hurt like a motherfucker." He informed me.

"I'll do it on three, ok?" I nodded, trying to prepare myself mentally for the pain that was coming. However, before I could brace myself, he grabbed my nose, and with a sharp tug, snapped it back in place.

He smirked. "Three." I let out a string of curses. He wasn't lying. It did hurt like hell.

I glared at him. "What the hell happened to one and two?" I demanded.

"I wanted to mess with you and I knew you would move if I did it on three like I said I would and make it worse. I told you I've done this a lot." He shrugged. I hated to admit it, but he did have a point. I nodded.

"Ok. Well um thank you, I better get back to training." I stuttered out before turning to watch the rest of the fights.

Lydia was up against Josh, the transfer who had helped Nathan. Josh, towering over Lydia, had easily knocked her out, though it was a clean fight at least. Jordana was up against Scott. Scott and Jordana were pretty evenly matched, but in the end, Jordana managed to knock Scott out.

By the end of the fights, Lydia, Nathan, and Scott were all coming around. I sighed in relief. At least they didn't have to spend the night in the hospital, though I had a hunch that Nathan was going to be just as sore as I would be tomorrow.

"Nathan. I'm so sorry I-" I tried but Nathan cut me off.

"It's no worries, Leah. It was a good and fair fight though next time, I am so kicking your ass." He replied with a smirk.

I scoffed. "Not a chance in hell." I grinned at him.

I was glad I had made such good friends. Though I still would have preferred staying in Candor, transferring to Dauntless might not be the worst thing in the world like I had originally thought it would be.

Nathan, Jordana, and Lydia left right after training to meet up with Luke and some other Dauntless borns. Meanwhile, I stayed behind for my training with Eric. I was prepared to start our usual strength training in silence, but Eric explained we were going to work on my fighting techniques. He led me over to the punching bags and told me to start working while he watched. I agreed, feeling a little self conscious as he observed my form.

However, I had soon discovered that, like shooting and running, beating the shit out of an inanimate object was surprisingly calming. Hence, I soon found myself working myself into a fast rhythm, taking out all of my emotions. Everything that I had kept locked up for so long was slowly creeping up on me, driving me harder.

Punch. My divergence.

Jab. Jalen.

Kick. Betraying my parents.

Hook. Eric.

Another over.

Kick. Losing my life in Candor.

Eric continued to watch me as I continued to get everything out. Thirty minute later, I finally remembered that Eric was supposed to be helping my form and came to a stop. I slumped over as I tried to catch my breath, embarrassment slowly creeping up on me.

"Feel better?" He asked. Slightly taken aback at his question, I slowly nodded hesitantly.

"It's a good outlet isn't it?" He continued to question. Again, I nodded hesitantly. This wasn't like him. If I didn't know better, I would say he was being borderline friendly.

"You seem to have an awful lot of anger to get out of your system, Blondie. You can use that to your advantage in a fight. However, your technique still needs some work. You barely beat Nathan today."

He moved behind me and I immediately sucked in a tense breath. I did NOT want him touching me again. However, my hope was soon diminished as he roughly brought my hips back against him. As he silently fixed my form, his rough hands lingered for a moment too long.

Again, I found my body reacting rather strangely to Eric's touch. Instead of tensing away from it, I leaned into it, wanting more. I snuck a glance at Eric's face and noticed his face was blank as usual, but his eyes were filled with something dark. His hands roamed over my thighs, urging me to widen my stance. I did so, but his hands didn't leave my body. His fingernails bluntly drug across my hips and thighs, making my knees go weak and mind go blank from the sensations. His touch felt so good. His ministrations were leaving trails of heat behind and I found myself leaning into him and closing my eyes. As his warm hands began to fiddle with the hem of my shirt, his fingers danced across my bare skin. His cold hands on my hot skin effectively snapped me back to reality.

"Umm. So like this?" I asked him quickly as I stepped away from, embarrassed at my reaction.

His expression remained blank and slowly nodded as he blinked rapidly a couple of times. He motioned me to start punching the bag once more, and I did so wordlessly, my mind still reeling from the lingering tingles of his touch. What the hell was going on with me? Maybe my hormones were out of whack. Yes. That must be it. I probably needed to go on a hormone stabilizer again. I had been on them back in Candor and was probably acting crazy because of their absence. In addition to stabilizing hormones, it was also a form of birth control. Candors tended to explore their sexuality openly and from a relatively early age, and thus, it was protocol for all girls to start on hormone stabilizers at the age of 13 in order to prevent teenage pregnancy. I appreciated them as well because they tended to reduce anxiety and obsessive tendencies that often accompanied my type-A personality. I made a resolution to pick up some pills from the infirmary ASAP. The last thing I needed was my hormones getting in the way of initiation.

I continued to beat on the bag for another hour. Eric remained wordless except for a couple of orders here and there, but never moving from his tense stance. He finally told me to stop and I sighed in relief and satisfaction.

I made my way to the door, desperately wanting a shower and sleep, but Eric stopped me.

"Here, let me see your hands." He said while reaching for my wrists.

He inspected them thoughtfully before saying, "Well, you only managed too break the top layer of the skin. They'll sting, but you'll be fine for practice tomorrow if you let me wrap them tomorrow before training."

I stood there shocked. Did Eric just actually offer to do something nice for me? I quickly nodded my thanks and turning to leave my mind reeling from training. I walked back to the dorms, eagerly awaiting a nice, hot shower.

As I opened the doors to the dorm, I quickly noticed everyone was already asleep. Stepping into the shower, I let the hot water pour down on me and ease out the knots in my back, shoulders, and neck. As the hot water ran out, I wrapped a towel around my body, dried off, and got changed for bed.

_Hands wrapped around my waist tightly. I was startled at first but as lips brushed against my neck, I relaxed slightly. I glanced up and saw Eric's piercing grey eyes staring down at me in what could only be lust. Hot kisses were placed on my collarbone, moving along my shoulder, as he slipped the strap of my dress to the side, giving him more area to cover. I let out a soft moan as he continued to suck and bite at my skin. His lips continued their assault on my neck, making their way up to my ear. "So fucking sexy." Eric whispered in my ear, sending my nerves into overdrive._

_He pushed me into his chest and I could feel his growing bulge against me. He quickly turned me around and slammed me against the wall. Before I could groan in slight pain, Eric's lips were on mine, kissing me roughly. His tongue slid into my mouth as we battled for dominance. We continued to kiss desperately before I finally submitted to him, letting him have control. His hands pinned my wrists to the wall and he pressed his hips into mine, effectively keeping me pinned. His lips moved from my lips down my neck, to my chest. I moaned loudly, and I could feel him smirk in reply. I wanted more. I started to grind my hips against him, eliciting a loud groan from him. His hand slid under the hem of my dress, grabbing my legs and lifting me up. I wrapped my legs tightly around him as he carried me to the counter top in the kitchen. He set me on the ledge, pushing my legs open, to accommodate for his large frame. His hands slipped under my dress once more and trailed up to my panty line before roughly grabbing them and tossing them to the side. _

I woke with a start to Four banging on the pipe with another metal spoon. Well fuck. What the hell was that?! I was so not attracted to Eric. I must really be going crazy if I was having sex dreams about my initiation instructor. That thought brought me up short. How the fuck was I going to face him today? I sighed in frustration. It was going to be a long day.

**AN: Well that is the chapter! Hope you guys liked it! I am wanting input on what you guys would like to see in this story sexually. It is rated M for a reason and there will be some more scenes later on! There was a short one in this chapter. Please let me know what you thought! Too graphic? Not graphic enough? Anyways. Much love to everyone who followed, reviewed, favorited, etc. this story. It really means the world to me! Reviews greatly appreciated!** **-Ali**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So sorry this chapter took so long! I was just so slammed with the last week before break and had about a bazillion tests. Thank you so much to those that reviewed my story! You have no idea how much it means to me! Love all you guys and enjoy the chapter! As usual all rights go to Veronica Roth.**

Chapter 3

Leah's POV

Training today was just as awkward as I predicted it would be. My dream about Eric had left me jittery, jumpy, and nervous around him. To make matters worse, everyone seemed to be noticing my abnormal behavior. Jordana and Lydia were concerned at breakfast, asking if I was feeling alright, but I had brushed off their concerns, assuring them it was nothing but nerves. It was a partial truth. _I was_ worried about rankings. We had just finished our first week in Dauntless and I was nervous to see how I'd rank amongst the others.

Worst of all, at my extra training classes with Eric, he seemed to know something was up. For the most part, he let me be, pushing me through circuits of push-ups, squats, burpees, etc. It wasn't until the end of training that he said anything to me.

I was struggling with the pull-ups as they were the last exercise of the day. I could barely continue to pull myself up to the bar when Eric wordlessly wrapped his hands around my waist, taking some of my weight so that I could keep going. Unfortunately, he took me by surprise which, in turn, caused me to let go of the bar completely and I ended up tackling both of us to the ground.

Momentarily stunned at the turn of events, it took me a while to notice that the position we had landed in was anything but appropriate. I was currently laying on top of him, our bodies pressed as close together as humanly possible.

I blushed as red as a lobster before quickly jumping off him. "OhmygodI'msosorry." I spluttered out as fast as I could. He looked at me questioningly before I realized he probably didn't understand a word I had just said.

Taking a deep breath and willing my skin to fade back to its usual alabaster coloring, I tried again. "I'm so sorry. You took me by surprise."

A carnal smirk flashed across his face. "That's not all, though, is it?" He fixed me with that calculative gaze again. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you've been nervous around me all day. And I know it's not because you're smart. You've continuously proved that you don't give a damn that I am someone you should be wary around. So spill, Blondie." He demanded.

Once again, I found myself panicking around the giant leader. What was I supposed to say? _ Oh yeah, well you see every time you touch me, my skin feels like it's burning even though I think you are one of the most annoying, narcissistic, arrogant assholes on this planet? _

Or better yet: _I had an extremely inappropriate dream about you and I woke up with wet panties and now every time I look at you all I see are your piercing eyes boring into mine with unshielded lust? _Yeah that made a lot of sense. So instead I just said, "I've always been a little jumpy and you have a habit of sneaking up on me." It was sort of the truth anyways. I actually was super jumpy and he had snuck up on me on more than one occasion.

He smirked. "I know you're lying, Blondie." He continued to step closer to me as I backed up until my back hit the hard stone of the training room. "So tell me. Why have you been jumping out of your skin today every time I come near you?" He took another step closer to me so that there was about an inch of space between us. Waves of heat radiated off his huge body. I could practically feel his muscles tensing with every word he said.

Shit. "Umm... Well we barely know each other! You're my instructor! Anyone would be nervous and jumpy around someone they don't know whose three times the size of them!" I blurted out.

That annoying smirk got even wider and more annoying. "So you're worried about my size, huh, Blondie?" I flushed bright red. I had no idea what to say to that, especially since he wasn't actually that far off.

"You know that's not what I meant and like you'd even make an impression!" I lied quickly. I was losing track of all the lies I had told since I'd gotten to Dauntless.

His grey eyes turned dark in an instant. Apparently I had struck a nerve with that comment. Men are so predictable. Before I could try and do damage control, his large hands grabbed my shoulders and slammed me into the wall. His hands trailed down to my hips, making my breath hitch. His lips were at my ear, so close to my skin, but not quite touching. However, it was enough to make me lose all traces of intelligence and I soon found myself pressing just a little closer to him. "Trust me, Blondie," he spoke, his breath against my ear and his deep voice doing indecent things to me. "If I were to fuck you, you wouldn't be able to walk for three days. You couldn't handle it." His calloused fingers dug into my skin, probably leaving bruises. "The marks-when I'd be through with you, there wouldn't be a single person in this compound who didn't know you were mine. The hair pulling-your pretty little head couldn't' take it. Not to mention between those toned legs of yours. I would have you cumming so many times you couldn't take it." He spoke, his voice now barely audible. "Hypothetically, of course." He said, stepping away from me. Flashing me another dark look, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me stunned, hot, and with a curious feeling between my legs. Great. What the hell was going on with me?

Taking a deep breath, I gathered my emotions and thoughts. No matter what, I was not going to let Eric get the best of me. I needed to calm down. I needed to run. With that thought, I started out the door of the training room, letting myself get lost in my own thoughts. Visiting day was coming up. It was at the end of this week and I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified. I had no idea if my parents would come or not. My mother had assured me that no matter what I chose, she would still love me and visit me. My father, however, was a different story. He had made it clear that I was not welcome at their house. I could only hope that my mother would keep her promise.

All of a sudden, I ran into someone, shaking me from my thoughts. Crossing my fingers that it wasn't Eric, I peered up at their face. I sighed in relief. Four.

"Hey. Four, sorry I wasn't paying attention." I apologized quickly.

"No problem, Leah. Hey I was actually looking for you. I need to talk to you. In private." He told me.

"Ok. There's no one around right now. Tell me what's on your mind." He shook his head and I stared up at him confusedly. He saw my confusion and mouthed _Cameras everywhere_. I panicked. If there were cameras everywhere, than someone could have seen me and Eric.

He pulled me to a cavern near the chasm. Looking at it, you wouldn't even know anything was there. It blended in with the dark, rocky, walls of the compound.

"I want to warn you about Eric." Four started.

"Nothing is going on between us." I interjected quickly.

"That's not what it looked like to me, Leah. There are cameras in the training room. You're lucky it was just me that saw. Relationships between initiates and anyone involved in the initiation process are strictly forbidden. Any evidence of favoritism is grounds for being kicked out of Dauntless." I nodded my understanding.

"But I don't even like Eric! I mean he is the most annoying, narcissistic, arrogant, person I've ever met. I don't know what's going on between us. I don't plan it! It just happens!" I exclaimed.

"I'm just warning you. I could care less about your love life. I'm cautioning you- don't do anything until initiation is over. I also think you should be warned about the kind of person Eric is. He's cold, Leah. And he hates divergents. If he finds out who you are, he will not hesitate to kill you, Leah. It doesn't matter if he likes you or if he finds you attractive. He will kill you." He told me seriously. "You're a nice girl. You're brave, too. You'd make a good Dauntless, but you need to be alive. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but you need to watch your back around him. He's an ex-Erudite so he's wicked smart. You need to be extra careful around him with hiding your divergence. A high IQ and brutality is a deadly combination. Please be careful."

With that, he turned and left me alone to ponder my thoughts. My brain felt overwhelmed with the new information. My mind was working a million miles a minute, analyzing every bit of knowledge I had learned. There were cameras in Dauntless. Eric was from Erudite. He was a genius. And he was dangerous. I always knew he was brutal, but I didn't know he was a killer. I sighed. I was exhausted and too tired to try and process all this. Climbing into bed, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I woke up to clanging, as per usual. However, I was far too exhausted for it to be morning. It seemed like we were in the early hours of the morning. I checked my watch. Yep. 2:26 AM. I groaned. Why the fuck were we up this early?

"Initiates! Up and at 'em. We're playing a game. I want everyone dressed and at the train in ten minutes." Eric said. He had a flashlight he was waving around, flashing light in peoples' eyes, making sure people were getting up.

I groaned again. I did not want to get up for a fucking game. My vision was interrupted by Eric's flashlight. "BLONDIE! That means you too!" He yelled. I hopped out of my bed, cold air hitting my flesh. The light scanned my body and I quickly realized I had gone to bed in underwear and a tank top. Great. Now all the leaders and trainers were seeing me in my underwear-clad body. I was too tired to really care about modesty, though. I quickly dressed and found Lydia and Jordana still flushed from embarrassment as they were in similar situations I was.

We quickly made our way up to the train tracks where Jalen and Zeke were waiting. "Hey girls!" Zeke called out with an easy smile.

"Hi! What are we doing?" I asked with a yawn.

Zeke grinned down at me. "That's for me to know and you to find out." He winked at me. I sent him a malicious glare. Seeing as he wasn't flinching, I sighed and resigned myself to waiting for the rest of the initiates to come up. Slowly but surely, they all trickled up to the tracks. Before we could even ask what was going on, the tracks shook with the approach of the oncoming train. I hastily jumped up behind Lydia while quickly followed me.

"Alright, Initiates!" Four's voice boomed. "We are playing Capture the Flag. Two teams. Jalen and I against Eric and Zeke. The task is simple. Find the other team's flag before they find yours." He finished.

Eric stepped up. "Weapon of choice: Neurostim Gun." He said, handing us each guns and two packets of ammo.

"What's it do?" Reily, the obnoxious Candor asked. Before Eric could say anything, I aimed my gun at his arm and fired. He fell to the ground with a shriek of pain. "Bitch!" He yelled again.

I smirked. "Guess you know now. Seems like it kind of hurts." I said, trying and failing to hide my smile. Part of me wondered if it was just a tad sadistic to find other peoples' pain amusing but I quickly brushed that thought off. Reily was a dick. He had it coming to him.

"Blondie! You just lost five points for unnecessary violence." Eric informed me seriously. Though it looked like it pained him to say it. He actually looked like he was working pretty hard to not laugh like everyone else. I had a feeling he probably wouldn't take away the points.

"As you can see, these stimulate the pain of a real gunshot so I would recommend not getting hit with one. Now: Four and Jalen, you guys can pick first." Jalen looked like he was about to open his mouth and pick someone but Four beat him to it.

"No. Go ahead, Eric. You know I don't need to pick first to win." Four said smirking. Eric's breathing grew harsher as he worked to keep his temper under control.

"In your dreams. If you insist, I'll take Blondie then." I just about jumped out of my skin. Was he serious? I slowly walked over to his side as the rest of the initiates were chosen. Lydia and Jordana were on Four and Jalen's team, which I was a little bummed about. However, I was excited to see Reily was on Four's team. Maybe if I was lucky I could shoot him again. I grinned sadistically at that thought. I was also happy to see that Luke and some of his friends were on my team as well as Nathan.

"Alright since Eric picked first, you guys get off first. My team will wait for five minutes before following." Four spoke.

Zeke and Eric jumped then and the rest of us quickly followed. Though I was originally pissed off about being woken up, I was now wide awake and excited as my competitive side kicked into high gear. We walked for a while before Eric and Zeke abruptly stopped.

"Alright. What's your plan? We might not be Erudite, but being Dauntless means being prepared,not just physically, but also mentally." As soon as he finished speaking, voices erupted, all shouting out different ideas. I rolled my eyes. If they didn't shut up, Four and Jalen's team would find us before we could even hide our flag.

Finally having had enough, I spoke up. "Go heavy on defense for about the first 10 minutes. Hide the flag somewhere high up, that way you can see people coming for the flag. It should be somewhere difficult to get to as well. Send a small party to scout the other team's location, then come back and send two small teams to come at their location from both sides. Capture the flag and done. We win." I finished with a shrug. I was met with blank stares and silence.

Slowly, Zeke started clapping and shot me a grin. "Well done, Leah. Where do you think this location should be?" I glanced at Eric, who had been silent this entire time with a thoughtful look on his face.

I thought for a moment before turning to Eric. "Do you have a knife?" I asked.

Confusion flashed in his eyes momentarily before masking it quickly. Wordlessly, he handed me the knife. I stabbed the bright fabric with it before handing it back to him. "I trust you can manage to throw this roughly twenty feet up into that tree?" I questioned. His eyes flashed with something close to respect and quickly launched the knife into the air, nailing it to the tree.

"Great. Now I don't care who goes to find the flag, just try not to get shot." I said.

Eric spoke up for the first time since we had gotten off the train. "Well, since you came up with this idea, you come with me and we'll find the flag and then come back to regroup." I withheld the annoyed sigh that threatened to escape me. I did NOT want to go anywhere with this man, not after what he said to me in the training room and not after that dream. I didn't know what was going on with me, but I knew that whenever Eric and I were alone together, he always managed to get under my skin and made me lose the careful control I worked so hard to keep.

Regardless, I was determined to not let Eric affect me any more than he already had. I would not give him the satisfaction. So without another word, I gestured for Eric to lead the way. We walked in silence for about five minutes, tensions running thick between us. I finally caved and broke the silence.

"So how are we going to find their flag? We could-" Eric's hand wrapped around my mouth and pushed my body against the wall and sent me a warning look. I was about to protest when I noticed why he had done it. Jalen was walking by, probably on the lookout for any of our players. I nodded my understanding of his actions and he removed his hand from my mouth. Just then, Eric's eyes lit up with an idea. I narrowed my eyes. Based on that smirk, I was certainly not going to like this plan.

"Do you trust me?" Eric questioned.

"Absolutely not." I responded.

"Too bad. If you know what's best for you, you'll play along with it. Hope you're a good actor, Blondie." I opened my mouth to question him, before he quickly grabbed my wrist, pushing me against his chest so fast, I got dizzy. He wrapped an arm around my waist, keeping me firmly trapped and brought the gun up to my head.

He walked me towards Jalen, roughly pushing me forwards. "Move and I'll shoot her." Eric spoke.

"Eric, what the fuck are you doing?" Jalen asked angrily. Eric's hands dug into me roughly, reminding me in a not-so-gentle-way that I needed to follow his charade if I wanted his plan to work, whatever it was. I knew Eric probably wouldn't hesitate to shoot me and that if he did it would likely hurt like a bitch according to Reily's reaction. So though I had absolutely no idea where he was going with this plan, I let out a soft whimper and sent a pleading and scared look to Jalen. Surprisingly, I was doing better at this than I thought I would considering how horrible my lies were. Maybe the anxiety from being held at gun point (well neurostim gun point but still) had something to do with my new found acting skills.

"Ok. Ok. Alright. I'll put the gun down. See? Just let her go." Jalen put his gun down and kicked it over to Jalen.

"Alright. Good. Now Jalen. Tell me where your flag is or she gets a bullet in her head." Eric spoke, his deep voice making his threat sound all the more intimidating. I flinched back involuntarily. I was now absolutely positive that Eric would shoot me and I really didn't feel like having a fucking headache for the rest of the night.

The gun pressed further into my head. "You've got ten seconds." Eric spoke again.

"That won't kill her. And I know Leah. She can handle the pain." Jalen's words cut through me like a knife. Despite his declaration of love, he still betrayed me. He wouldn't give up winning a fucking game even if it meant watching me get shot, possibly multiple times. This wasn't necessarily what bugged me though. What bugged me was that he didn't even see what he was doing. He constantly broke his promises without even realizing it. He promised to make changes but he did the same things over and over again.

Eric shifted the gun down to my side, an act of mercy really. Being shot in the side would hurt way less than the head and I wouldn't have a killer headache after.

Eric muttered a quick '_sorry, Blondie'_ before turning back to Jalen. "Have it your way then." He spoke louder now so that Jalen could here him and pulled the trigger. Pain erupted through my side and I let out a blood curdling scream.

"Leah, I'm sorry! But I can't tell you anything." Jalen pleaded with me to understand.

I shook my head. Through gritted teeth, I spat at him, "It's ok, _babe_. I know how important you are. I know that you've always put yourself before me. I've come to expect it, really. You're exactly the same, Jalen." Jalen looked like I had slapped him, but said nothing.

Eric quickly spoke again, "Another ten seconds. This time the bullet goes in her chest. That'll hurt more."

Again, Jalen said nothing, keeping an impassive stare. I thought I saw Eric shoot me a sympathetic look, but I wasn't sure. I was probably wrong. From what I'd heard from Four, Eric probably didn't care about who he hurt. He probably looked down on me for my weakness. He fired another shot, more pain spreading through my body as the pain from the first bullet had not yet warn off. I let out another scream and nearly collapsed, but Eric's hand wrapped around me, holding up most of my weight with his one arm, the other arm still holding the gun to me.

"Next one is in her back. You got ten more seconds. Fail to answer and I start shooting her in the head and neck." I groaned. I didn't think I could handle much more pain. Tears were now leaking from my eyes. Mostly from the pain, but also from Jalen. He was essentially watching Eric torture me and he wouldn't save me in fear of losing the stupid game. He might have said he loved me, but he clearly treated me in a way that said else wise. He really was selfish. And he obviously didn't care enough about me to make any sacrifices to sustain a relationship. No, he was probably just looking for a couple of hook-ups with me before tossing me aside again.

Again, Jalen failed to answer and Eric fired into my back. I let out a scream so loud Eric and Jalen both flinched backwards. "Please. Jalen. Just tell him. I can't take anymore." I pleaded with him. By now, Eric was supporting my entire body, me not even capable of holding myself up. With the intense pain, my sadness faded and anger took over. No. It wasn't anger. It was something stronger, it was pure, unadulterated loathing.

Eric glanced at me and I could tell he made a decision. He scooped me up in one arm and walked me over to a wall, aiming the gun at Jalen now. What was he up to? As much as I didn't want to endure any more pain, there was no way in hell that I was losing. Especially not to Jalen. Not after tonight. I sent a questioning look to Eric, silently asking what the fuck he was doing since I didn't think I was strong enough to open my mouth without screaming again. All he did was held up a finger, signaling to give him a minute. I sighed. If this didn't work, I might actually kill somebody.

He paced towards Jalen. Gun trained on him. "W-what are y-you d-ddoing?" Jalen stuttered out.

Eric smiled his signature sadistic smile in response. "Improvising. The plan was to get you to talk using your pretty little girlfriend. However, clearly you don't give a damn about her if you're willing to watch her scream in agony for the sake of a fucking game." His voice rose towards the end and he paused to calm himself before speaking again. "So I'm switching tactics. I'll just get it out of you. Let's see how well you deal with the pain. Shall we begin?" Eric asked and without giving him time to answer, fired a shot into his side. Jalen let out a scream and I flinched. Though I was pissed and currently hating his entire existence, apparently somethings are so deeply ingrained in you, you can't help your reaction. By now, the pain in my side had faded to a still painful, but more of a throbbing, bearable pain.

"Now. Care to talk?" Eric questioned, aiming the gun at his chest, looking a little too eager to shoot at him.

Jalen slowly nodded, holding up his hands in surrender. "The old Field Museum. By the dinosaur replica. That's where we hid it. There are five guards out front. Two inside and four looking for your flag. Four's in the building with the defense. I was supposed to lead a team to find your guys' flag but we got separated. I don't know where they are now." Eric slowly smiled a carnal smile.

"Wow. That didn't take much. Now get out of my face you pathetic excuse of a man. Or better yet-" He leaned down to his ear and whispered something I couldn't hear, then fired two more shots rapidly in the same spots as he shot me. Then, he finally shot him in the temple, causing him to let out another agonizing scream. Eric leaned down once more and whispered something else in his ear, that I didn't catch.

Eric walked over to me. "I truly believed I wouldn't have to shoot you. If it makes you feel any better, I shot him in the head for you." He cracked a half smile. I sat back stunned. It wasn't technically an apology but I knew there was absolutely no way in hell Eric was ever going to apologize to me. However, his pathetic attempt only furthered my rage. All the hatred I felt towards Jalen, my divergence, this stupid faction system, it all became directed at Eric. He was the reason I couldn't focus, why I was in such intense amounts of pain. Not only physical, but mental and emotional, as well. Though the small, working, rational part of my brain tried to remind me that I couldn't blame Jalen and I's problems on him, the stronger, more unstable part of my brain shut it down. "Forgive me?" He questioned in such a low tone I couldn't even be sure he actually said it.

"Absolutely not!" I yelled at him, my rage becoming some how deeper if that was even possible. How could he ask me to dismiss his actions? He was a repulsive human being with absolutely no morals, self control, common sense, or even a shred of humanity. "How could you possibly ask me to dismiss your actions? You practically tortured me!" His eyes flashed with anger and frustration for a second but I spoke again before he could say anything. "I can only take so much, Eric." I said quietly. So quietly I thought I might have to say it again. However, I saw his eyes soften just the tiniest bit.

The intense anger I had felt was beginning to dissipate, but I felt the feelings shift towards sadness again. God my emotions were all over the place today. And they were heightened. Everything I felt, I felt in the most extreme magnitude. Now all the sadness and pain I had endured came rushing back, my anger now completely exhausted. I was an absolute wreck and as I thought about the past few weeks I had, I became even more devastated. I had lost my parents, at least for now, and I was forced to leave behind everything I'd ever loved and wanted. Not only had I lost my first boyfriend and first love, the guy I had trusted completely, but I was now learning that he wasn't who I thought he was. And now, I was in insane amounts of pain. It was all too much. I took five deep breaths, trying to regain my emotions. It took everything I had not to break down right then and there, but I kept it together. I was strong. I would not cry. I would not cry. I would not cry. I might have once wanted to be Candor, but that ship has sailed. I am Dauntless now and Dauntless don't cry. So I took another five breaths to gather myself and make sure I had everything under control and tightly locked away for the time being before looking up at Eric, having completely forgotten that he was here.

He stared at me, his expression unreadable and I stared right back at him. It seemed like we held each others' gaze for hours. "Look, Leah. I really thought he would tell me as soon as I threatened you. I know you're pissed at me but I also know you're not just mad at me. I know you're also mad at Jalen." He spoke quietly. I sighed. I knew he was right, as much as I hated to admit it. I thought about it for a moment. Though he had yet to apologize to me, his facial expressions and body language told me he was sorry, even if he wouldn't admit it to himself.

"Ok." I told him.

"Ok?" He questioned, clearly confused.

"Ok I'll forgive you." He smiled. "If..." His smile dropped a fraction but it was barely noticeable. "If we go and kick their asses." I finished, cracking a half smirk at him.

He smiled another genuine smile. I was starting to really like his genuine smile. It softened his features, made him look a little more human. "Can you walk?" He asked me.

I frowned momentarily. I actually didn't know the answer to that question. I tried moving my body, testing it out. The pain was still there and it still hurt like a bitch. I knew I could stand...with Eric's help but even with Eric's help, I wasn't sure I would be able to walk.

I motioned for him to come help me, and he quickly got the hint and wrapped his arms around my waist, surprisingly gentle, but yet firmly. I knew he wouldn't let me fall. He got me up easily enough. Trying to walk though was another story. With his arms wrapped tightly around me, I took a step forward hesitantly and immediately, my legs gave out from under me. I braced myself for the fall, but it never came. Eric had scooped his other arm underneath my knees so quickly I hadn't even realized he was now carrying me until he started walking. "So that's a no." He said and I immediately started laughing. Laughing was easier to do than cry. And it was kind of funny anyways. My pathetic attempt was so far a no and soon Eric started to chuckle as well, much to my surprise.

I looked at him. "So you _do_ feel something other than annoyance or anger." I stated with a smirk.

He glared at me for a second before dropping it and sending me one of his signature smirks. "You forgot a few." He said, trying to fight the grin that threatened to take over his condescending smirk.

"Did I now?" I questioned. "Care to enlighten me?" I drawled.

"Yeah. You forgot hunger, boredom, and... Lust, Blondie." He responded his eyes scanning me and his previously joking demeanor was replaced with something much more intense and sinister. I was suddenly aware that the pain had faded and I could now focus on the situation at hand. His thick biceps held up my athletic frame effortlessly, heat radiating off his skin. I was pressed against his hard chest and I couldn't deny that it felt good, safe, like I was protected and that was what I desperately needed right now. And in this moment, a few details fell into place. I was attracted to Eric and I knew Eric was at least somewhat attracted to me. I didn't hate him. I certainly didn't like him, but I didn't hate him either. I also knew I wanted him. I needed him. I didn't care if he was dangerous. Quite frankly it kinda turned me on. However, despite this realization I also knew that it wasn't allowed. But at this moment I also didn't care. His grip around me tightened and he leaned down to my level ever so slowly. The air was charged with electricity, neither of us wanting to be the first to cave, but both of us desperate to close the gap. It was like a battle of wills, both of us so stubborn, not wanting to give in but also knowing it was inevitable. I was finally about to give in, when I found myself falling, shaking me from the spell. For the second time that week, I found myself on top of Eric.

It took me a minute to even figure out what happened. I knew that we had fallen but I was still unaware of how we had gotten there, my mind sluggish from the intense moment before.

"What the hell?" I groaned, rolling off Eric.

"My bad. Wasn't watching where we were going. Tripped over a log." He informed me.

"And I thought I was clumsy." I muttered.

"Oh shut up, Blondie. Now come on. We've got a game to win."

Sitting on the train back to Dauntless, I felt myself feeling surprisingly content given the start to this night. We had won the game, which I now understand is actually a huge deal in Dauntless Tradition, not that that excused Jalen's actions in the slightest. And I actually had a pretty good time with Eric. After "our moment," as I've decided to call it, I came up with a killer plan to get us the flag and gladly got to retrieve it as well. Hopefully that would boost my rank more. From what I understood, Lydia and Jordana both played pretty influential roles on their team so though they lost, their rank would most likely improve. Nathan and Luke covered me the entire time we were in pursuit of Four and Jalen's flag so they should be in pretty good shape as well. I was also happy to say that Reily's rank would most likely be hurt since he was in charge of defense for Four and Jalen's team. I was glad that the night had turned out like it had. Best of all, training tomorrow was canceled so we could actually catch some sleep, something that I had found myself lacking since coming to Dauntless. So I found myself not able to keep the wide grin off my face, my troubles momentarily forgotten.

The next few days went by quickly and before I knew it, Friday had arrived: Visiting day, or also known as Judgement Day to me. We were all nervous. Jordana had spoken with her parents before leaving and you could say they didn't take it well. Lydia, on the other hand, was too shocked from her test result to even think about talking with her parents. Nathan, on the other hand, was perfectly fine. He, like me, had told his parents, but unlike my parents, his had been accepting. They had both been from Dauntless originally so they were actually quite happy with his choice. I sighed heavily. If only my situation was like Nathan's.

We all had woken up extremely early Friday morning, as well. From what Zeke and Uriah had told me, parents typically start trickling in around 11. They also told me that I was more than welcome to hang out at their apartment, in case my parents didn't show, which was a likely scenario. I was thankful for their offer, but I doubted I would actually take them up on it. I didn't really like company when I was upset.

I had just finished getting ready when Eric and Four came in. "Initiates!" Eric began. "As you all know, today is Visiting Day. I wouldn't get your hopes up, though. Most transfer parents don't show. If they do show, however, it is best not to appear too attached. We take loyalty at Dauntless very seriously. Enjoy your day. Rankings will be posted tomorrow morning at 10. You'll have Sunday off to do whatever the hell you please, and Stage 2 starts Monday." With that, the two left us to finish getting ready.

Jordana, Lydia, Nathan, and I all headed to the cafeteria for breakfast, in hopes of meeting Luke. We eventually found Luke with his friends I think who were called Anna and Nick. Luke, Anna, and Nick had tried to make easy conversation to lighten the mood but quickly gave up as they realized it was an impossible task. The silence and anticipation in the air was tangible and soon, the Dauntless Borns' parents began to file in. Luke, Anna, and Nick all left us, increasing the silence and nerves at our table exponentially.

I looked over my outfit. I had tried to wear something appropriate that my parents would approve of if they did show up. I had brushed out my hair, leaving it down for what seemed like the first time in forever. I wore no makeup, a habit from Candor I still clung to. I had worn a fitted, black, casual dress with a pair of dark tights and combat boots. For an Initiate's budget, I thought it was as good as it was going to get.

Soon, a couple from Erudite emerged into the dining hall. I glanced at Lydia and Jordana and could see their looks of disappointment. Not their parents. Must be another transfer's family. I continued to pretend to eat my breakfast when Lydia quickly nudged me.

"Leah! There's a couple from Candor. Are they your parents?" She questioned.

I looked up from my food and there they were. My parents. My mom stood shorter than I with the same light blonde hair as me. Sure enough, my father followed quickly after. His stature quite tall and broad for not working out very much. I couldn't help the wide smile that broke out across my face. I ran up to them, embracing my mother in a tight hug. I was a little wary of my father's presence considering the last conversation we had.

"Oh Maleah! Look at you you're so beautiful! I'm so proud of you. You're so strong, sweetheart." My mother exclaimed quickly.

I grinned. "I miss you, Mom. I love you so much. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." I repeated. I had allowed myself to push my parents to the back of my mind but with them here now, I couldn't stop the emotions from breaking free.

"No baby. We are so proud of you. Both of us." She sent a pointed look at my father.

"Well, Leah I can't say I'm happy about your decision or that I'm proud of it, but I can say that I love you and I can see that you are becoming a beautiful woman. I only wish you had decided to stay in Candor." My father told me, speaking for the first time.

"I know, Daddy. But I couldn't stay in Candor. I didn't belong." What I thought was an innocent statement seemed to set my father off as his face turned red and I could see him preparing to yell.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T BELONG IN CANDOR?" My father's voice bellowed and I found myself stepping back in fear. I had seen my dad mad millions of times but never to this extent. "I RAISED YOU TO BE HONEST MALEAH KHANG. IMAGINE MY DISAPPOINTMENT WHEN MY ONLY DAUGHTER TELLS ME SHE WANTS TO BE IN DAUNTLESS. DAUNTLESS OF ALL PLACES! AND FOR WHAT? BECAUSE SHE FEELS SHE BELONGS THERE? YOU HAVE FORSAKEN YOUR DUTIES TO THIS HOUSEHOLD AND TO CANDOR. FACTION BEFORE BLOOD. YOUR ARE A DISHONEST DISGRACE." My father yelled. By now, everyone had stopped their conversations and were now openly gawking at the seen that was now going down. Shock ran through me. I knew my father and I had a long ways to go before we were back on our usual terms, but I had thought him coming here was a start. Him coming to Dauntless gave me hope that there was a chance at reconciliation. Now, however, all thoughts of reconciliation had completely vanished and I felt the anger rising within me.

My mother was trying to do some damage control as she spoke, "Jack, come on you can't-" I cut her off. I could now only see red.

"Dishonest?" I questioned, my voice quickly rising, self control gone. "YOU'RE THE ONES WHO TAUGHT ME TO BE HONEST! AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I DID. LEAVING CANDOR WAS THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE AND IT WAS ALSO THE MOST BRAVE AND _HONEST_ THING I HAVE EVER DONE." I spat at him. "IF ANYTHING YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF ME FOR TELLING YOU GUYS! I COULD HAVE JUST TRANSFERRED AND NOT HAD A CONVERSATION WITH YOU BUT I DIDN'T! I WAS HONEST!" I paused for a moment, trying to calm down. "You can call me a lot of things, Daddy, but a liar is not one of them. You are a hypocrite. You can't even respect my honesty for telling you my decision when you're the leader of the fucking faction that tells the truth for God's sake. You-" He cut me off with a sharp slap to my face. A hard slap. So hard that my entire body fell to the floor from the impact. Silently, I stood up and brushed myself off. I stood there shocked. Everything stopped moving. I knew my mother was probably yelling at my father but I couldn't hear. I had seen my dad angry. I had seen my dad enraged. But never once had I seen him turn violent. Never once had I thought that he would ever slap me. I didn't know what to do so I just stood there frozen, staring at my father.

He seemed to finally shake out of his trance. "Leah. I'm so sor-" He tried. But I didn't listen. I couldn't do this right now. I had to get out of here. Everyone had seen what had happened and I could feel the eyes burning into me. I turned and ran and I had a feeling I wouldn't be stopping anytime soon.

I was exhausted. I had a habit of running to escape my problems. Today though, I had ran until I couldn't feel anything. I had run until the pain in my body was too great for me to focus on the emotional pain. It wasn't a perfect solution but right now, it was all I could do.

I collapsed on my bed next to Lydia and Jordana. "How was visiting day for you guys?" I asked, desperately hoping it had turned out better than mine.

"Dreadful." Jordana informed me. "My parents didn't show." She continued.

"That might have been a blessing." Lydia replied. "Mine came just to tell me that I was no longer their daughter." She said sadly.

"At least yours didn't slap you in front of the whole of Dauntless." I muttered, thinking no one could hear me.

"WHAT?" Lydia screeched.

I sighed. I did NOT want to tell this story but I knew they wouldn't give it up until they had an answer so I settled in and recounted the events that happened during visiting day.

When I had finished, Lydia and Jordana both had concerned and sympathetic expressions on their faces. "Leah, I'm so sorry." Lydia began, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I sighed and nodded, grateful for their support. However, I suddenly didn't want to be alone right now or stay in our dorm. I wanted to do something wild and crazy. By now the pain had began to creep back in and I desperately wanted to escape it. Jordana seemed to be thinking a long the same lines as I was.

"You know where we should go?" She questioned, a shit eating grin spreading across her face. I raised a questioning eyebrow, showing her I was listening. "Trinity." She finished.

"Trinity?" Lydia questioned.

"The night club at Dauntless." I informed her.

"Well?" Jordana asked.

I looked at Lydia for a moment and she gave me a devious smile that looked a little odd on her sweet and innocent face. "Let's get ready." I said with a grin. Jordana squealed and I grinned. This was what I needed.

I piled my straight hair into a long, high, ponytail, leaving some pieces out to frame my face. I was going to just skip makeup like usual when Jordana stopped me. "You are wearing makeup. I don't care if I have to tie your hands to the chair." She told me seriously. I swallowed and just nodded. There was no way I would win this. She fussed around for a few minutes and then handed me a mirror. I took a deep breath, preparing for the worst before glancing at myself.

I was surprised with what I saw. I was expecting myself to look completely different but to my delight, I still looked like myself. Jordana had lined my eyes with light grey eyeliner, 'baby steps' she had said, which made my eyes look bigger and brighter. She swiped a coat of mascara on my lashes, insisting I didn't need much. Additionally, she swiped a bit of bronzer onto the apples of my cheeks, which gave my usually fair skin a little more color. She had finished the look with a light pink lipstick, insisting that I would be wearing red next time.

"Wow. Thanks Jo! Maybe I should start wearing a little more makeup." I said sheepishly. It was an odd feeling, wearing it. I had never worn makeup before but I was beginning to like it. I liked the way I looked. I liked the confidence I had with it. I didn't think I would like wearing mounds of it, but I felt like this was the perfect amount. I looked nice, but more importantly, I looked like myself.

I then realized I might have a slight problem. I had worn my one dress today for Visiting Day and it wasn't exactly a party dress. I groaned. "Jo what the hell am I going to wear?" She seemed to be a little stuck on that issue. However, Lydia piped up. I've got a dress you can borrow she said to me with a smirk.

The dress was gorgeous. It was a tight, black lace dress that would be just the perfect combination of cute and sexy. In the right size. Unfortunately, Lydia was maybe 5'2 at best and I was 5'8. Lydia also had a modest sized chest and I definitely didn't. The dress on me was borderline too short and I had a lot of cleavage showing, way more than I ever had before.

"Are you sure this is appropriate?" I asked doubtfully, looking at myself in the mirror.

"Of course!" They shrieked at the same time.

"Leah. You've got a hot body, might as well take advantage of it." Jordana told me with a smile. I took a deep breath, trying to man up. If I could suck it up and just be confident in the tiny dress, I might be able to pull it off.

"Okkkkayyy." I finally said reluctantly, dragging it out. "Lets go."

The nightclub was fairly crowded and I saw the bar. Hmm. Alcohol. Maybe that's what I needed. The three of us walked over and ordered. The two of them ordered some fruity drink that sounded absolutely disgusting to me. "Scotch on the rocks please." I told the bartender.

"Scotch?" A man questioned near me, sending me a blinding smile. He was definitely cute. He had longer hair than most Dauntless men, but not so long as it was touching his shoulders. He was tall too, from what I could tell and pretty broad, coinciding with the typical Dauntless.

I nodded. "Don't see too many pretty girls like yourself sipping scotch here." He said with a wink. He scooted over to the seat next to him. "In fact, don't see many girls as beautiful as you here period. Can I buy you another?" He asked.

I thought about it for a second. I didn't know him at all but he was cute and called me beautiful so I found myself nodding and saying, "Only if you tell me your name." I told him with a flirty smile.

"It's Damian, babe." He told me with a blinding smile.

One drink turned into three and pretty soon I found myself slightly tipsy. I felt amazing. This alcohol thing was great. I hadn't been a big drinker before so I figured I should probably slow down. At the same time though, the alcohol was making me feel markedly better and I really wanted to stop feeling so lousy.

"Ever try tequila before?" Damian questioned.

I shook my head no. "Well darling, I think you'll like it." He gave me a shot glass, a lime, and some salt. "Lick the salt, slam the tequila, and suck the lime." He told me.

I looked at him questioningly. Seemed kind of weird but I did it anyway. Hmm that was actually kind of fun. I grinned back at Damian and signaled him to get me another shot.

5 more shots of tequila and I was drunk. Damian now had his hand thrown around my shoulder. Part of me wondered if I should shake him off but a stronger part of me protested, telling me the contact felt good.

"Lets get out of here. I'll walk you back." Damian slurred.

I nodded, taking his hand. He brought us to a deserted hallway when he stopped. His eyes met mine and I knew what he was going to do. He bent down to kiss me and I let him. Soon enough, I found myself kissing him back, fingers threading into his hair and pulling his body closer to mine. He took this opportunity to deepen the kiss, pushing me against the wall, pinning my wrists above my head with one hand. With the other hand, he shifted his grasp to my waist, trying to push up the dress I was wearing. I tried to move my hands to stop him, but he was too strong. I tried to push him off me, but he obviously wasn't taking the hint in his drunken mind. "Damian. Stop. Please." I said, this time pushing with all my might against him. He didn't stop though. He kept going, successfully pushing my dress around my hips, pulling my underwear off. Panic surged through me. I couldn't get him off me. I started scratching, kicking, screaming, trying anything to get him off me, but nothing happened. I felt something hard against me and I choked out a sob, knowing exactly what was going to happen next.

**AN: Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please, please, please review! I would love to know what you guys think go the story or any ways you think it could be improved! This is my first time ever writing a story so I would really appreciate any ideas, comments, areas of improvement that you think of! Much love!**

**-Ali**


End file.
